


Storm

by BridgetteIrish, sgvirtualseason



Series: Supergirl Virtual Season [9]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Aliens, Black Kryptonite, Boss/Employee Relationship, Dysfunctional Family, F/F, Femslash, Guns, Hostage Situations, Mad Scientists, Parent-Child Relationship, Two Karas, Virtual Season/Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-15 10:50:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 23,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11804505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BridgetteIrish/pseuds/BridgetteIrish, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sgvirtualseason/pseuds/sgvirtualseason
Summary: Lillian Luthor and Cadmus hatch another nefarious plan to torment the aliens of National City, using Cat and CatCo as a tool to get their message to the masses. Kara's identity is compromised and lives are put in danger when the building is held hostage by an unbalanced Cadmus scientist.James takes up the mantle of rescuer from outside as he calls in assistance from Lucy and the DEO in the absence of Alex and Maggie.Unexpected assistance from Lena Luthor, and from Carter, could mean the difference between saving dozens of lives or collapsing the very foundations of CatCo Worldwide Media. Team Supergirl must determine who to trust in the blink of an eye to protect their own.





	1. Act I

  
  


@xxtorchxx is setting us up right for this week. What is Lillian up to? Praise for mad manip skills in the comments, or hit her [Tumblr ask](http://xxtorchxx.tumblr.com/ask).


	2. Act I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat returns to CatCo on a quiet holiday with Kara by her side. As she hesitantly takes the reigns again, Lillian puts her latest plan to undermine alien rights into motion. Lena attempts to warn CatCo of her mother's intentions and J'onn extends an olive branch to M'gann.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>    
> 
> 
> Getting fancy from @xy0009!  
> Hit the comments or [ask box](http://xy0009.tumblr.com/ask) about the pretty.
> 
> Thank you to @spaceshipsarecool ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceshipsarecool) | [tumblr](http://spaceshipsarecool.tumblr.com/ask)) for editing work on this, and additional editing from @fictorium and @inspectorboxer.

**TEASER**

The fire was hot. Hot enough to cause the lead paint hastily spread on the concrete walls to bubble and drip. The iron door leading to the inferno beyond had been open long enough to heat the room to a low boil and make Lillian break out in an unladylike sweat. Her forehead shone, and a few flyaway hairs escaped her usually impeccable chignon to cling roguishly to her neck. Her confident smirk remained, though, as her companion hefted a long pair of iron tongs. Together, they peered into the flames, flickering gold and red and just shy of white. Lillian thought of staring into the gates of hell. The symbolism wasn’t lost on her, but her mission didn’t allow for conscience or cowardice now. The stakes were too high. If hell was her fate, she’d write her own ticket, and take the Supers with her.

She watched patiently as the glowing green stone, placed in the center of the flames, darkened to a deep verdant, deeper still to an ominous hunter, and finally to a smoky charcoal. The fire hugged the stone, almost protectively, until the man at Lillian’s side reached in with strong, confident arms and used the tongs to pluck it from its scorching bed.

Smoke rose from the rock as it was placed on the ground, charring the concrete surrounding it. As it cooled, it shone in the firelight, now a menacing mirrored black.

“It’s ready, Doctor,” Lillian preened.

“You’re sure it’ll work?” Dr. Dabney Donovan gave the stone a skeptical kick with his shoe. It melted the tip of his rubber sole.

“Oh yes.” A malevolent smile spread across Lillian’s features. “There are two sides to every story, and the world is about to see the other side of Supergirl’s.”

***

“Nervous?” Kara asked, her blunt manicure tapping against her coffee mug.

“Are you asking, or telling me your state of mind?” Cat arched an eyebrow. They hadn’t said much since sitting down for breakfast at Noonan’s half an hour ago. Her first day back at CatCo loomed large, and Kara clearly wasn’t sure where the lines were between them now that Cat had pressed pause on their burgeoning relationship.

“Both?” Kara confessed with a weak smile.

As stunning as Kara was in eveningwear, and as confident as she was in all her superhero glory, it was this version of her Cat had fallen for, had tried to run from. Earnest, sunny, and thoughtful, this Kara always made her heart quicken. Cat ached to pull her close and whisper beautiful things against her skin, but she’d promised Kara time. And today, professional distance would be a necessity if she were going to properly step back onto her rightful throne.

Cat sipped her latte and glanced around Noonan’s, reflecting on this little spot of her world that was neither work nor home. She liked it here, now that she found herself finally able to enjoy these peaceful moments after so many weeks of feeling wrung out and pulled apart. Noonan’s was bright and clean with an energetic bustle that was a microcosm of the city she loved so much. Her coffee was hot, and the frittata was delicious, even though it remained mostly untouched. She hadn’t missed Kara eyeing it longingly, but a tiny piece of her took warm pleasure in Kara’s restraint in not asking to finish it. Cat didn’t enjoy torturing her, but it reminded her of a time when she ruled the world. A time when Kara was Keira, before she was a hero, before they were… whatever they were becoming. Cat found herself a bit nostalgic for those simple moments where Kara would blush and stammer, and Cat’s heart would swell with forbidden affection.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Kara pointed out, polishing off her third blueberry danish.

“What on Earth makes you think I’m nervous?” Cat picked up her fork and began to pulverize her meal. “Besides, the benefit of coming back on a holiday is there’ll only be a fraction of my staff to point and stare at their benevolent leader upon my return. Even Noonan’s is closing today at… well… _noon_. It should be a perfectly uneventful day.”

Kara eyed her knowingly. “First day back. I’d be nervous too.” She hesitated a moment before reaching out a slender hand to cover Cat’s. “But maybe take out the nerves on Eve, James, or me. Those eggs are innocent.”

Cat knew the goal was to make her smile, but she scoffed instead, dropping her fork on the plate with a clatter. As lovely as Kara’s touch was, the contact blurred the recently drawn lines between them that Cat was determined to honor. She leaned back, pulling her hand from Kara’s with a sense of loss. “You caught me, Ace Reporter. It’s possible I’m a bit apprehensive.”

Kara nodded, and Cat was grateful when she didn’t press.

Anxious to get on with the challenge facing her, Cat drained her latte and tossed her napkin on her plate. “It’s time. Chop chop.” Before Kara could so much as gather her things, Cat donned her sunglasses, slung her Henri Bendel over her elbow, and strode for the door.

She didn’t miss Kara’s exasperated sigh, laced though it was with affection. Cat spared a backward glance as Kara went to the counter and picked up the extra latte she’d ordered with a sunny, “Thanks!” for the barista.

Kara caught up with her easily in the CatCo lobby and handed her the cup. “I blocked out some time this afternoon so we can strategize how to counter Cadmus’s propaganda. After the attack on the gala, they’re ramping up their messaging again.”

“Fine,” Cat said, her game face already on as she entered her private elevator.

Kara remained outside, clutching the strap of her purse. Cat was perfectly aware Kara would use her superspeed to meet her outside the elevator on the fortieth floor, and she allowed herself a moment to revel in the warmth that level of care gave her. Kara flashed her a final reassuring grin that was impossible to resist.

With a little thrill of danger, Cat drew her sunglasses down her nose and pursed her lips to hide a persistent smile. She deliberately crooked a single finger, beckoning Kara to join her.

Kara’s breathing hitched at the gesture, and she placed a hand over her stomach as she complied. A futile effort to settle an explosion of butterflies, perhaps? Cat schooled her features. Kara Danvers was the strongest woman on the planet, and Cat had the power to make her weak in the knees. She’d have to be careful. That kind of sway could prove addictive, but with Kara looking at her like she could turn on the sun, she didn’t care.

Kara bravely took her place at Cat’s right hand and pressed the button for the fortieth floor. Cat pushed her sunglasses back into place, aware of Kara’s gaze on her profile as they began their ascent.

***

**ACT I**

As the elevator rose, Kara struggled with impulses she’d never felt so strongly. She wanted to pull Cat into a hug and tell her everything was going to be all right. She wanted to crawl out of the elevator and lift it to the fortieth floor, just to help Cat get it over with quickly. She wanted to hit the emergency stop button so they could spend the day alone together in this tiny space, pretending the world around them didn’t exist. It was this final impulse that brought a hot flush to Kara’s cheeks.

Instead of following any of her baser impulses, she fell back on old assistant habits and flipped open Cat’s agenda on her tablet.

“You have your regular staff meeting at 9:30, although most of them are off for the holiday. I was thinking you should send James on assignment this morning. I know he’s perfectly willing to hand the helm back to you, but the rest of the staff has become accustomed to taking his direction. If he’s out of the office, it will curb any possible transfer of power issues right off the bat.”

Cat removed her sunglasses again, turning a shrewd gaze on her. “Are you my chief business strategist all of a sudden, Kara? Did I get a lobotomy and put you in charge of managing my staff? Perhaps we should go back to the DEO. I must be compromised if I’m allowing my new stringer to give me leadership advice.”

Kara swallowed the snarky retort on the tip of her tongue. “Sorry, Ms. Grant. I was just trying to help.”

The formality hung between them. They were past it, but work was a different environment for feeling out their new dynamic. Kara hugged her tablet to her chest as the floors ticked by.

“I’ll send James to the AIDS Foundation Garden Party. Half of National City’s elite will be there. It deserves his eye and his charisma. He’ll be back in time for our strategy meeting this afternoon.” Cat’s voice became determined, authoritative. “I’d like him involved in the Cadmus story, Kara. He’ll be a good guide for you, and his press cred will open doors yours can’t yet. There’s a reason I snatched him up from the Planet after all, and I don’t mean the tightness of his shirts.”

“I’d rather do this on my own, Ms. Grant.”

“Use him anyway. I’m still your boss, lifesaving rescue notwithstanding.” Cat reached out and plucked an errant string off Kara’s cardigan, taking the opportunity to straighten one of the curls falling across her shoulder where it spilled from her barrette.

The impulse to pull Cat close was back again, but the CEO visage was solidly in place now, and the ding of the thirty-fifth floor had come and gone. Their isolation was coming to an end.

Kara turned to face the doors and Cat did the same. Just before they parted, Cat whispered almost imperceptibly, “I think it’s time you called me Cat around the office, don’t you?”

The elevator opened, and Cat strode out as though she’d never left. Kara would never tire of watching Cat’s confident strut, but this was the first time she’d had the pleasure of watching her leave her elevator from this side. The view had her clutching her tablet again until the plastic cover creaked in protest. Cat’s tailored black trousers and rich blue silk blouse flowed flawlessly over her frame as she headed for her office.

Though the bullpen was largely empty, every eye was still on Cat, and Kara soaked up the power in her wake. “Rao save me,” she mumbled to herself. “I’m doomed.”

The gazes in the bullpen shifted from Cat to her as she stepped off the elevator. Nobody but Carter was allowed to share Cat’s elevator, and Kara immediately began formulating plausible excuses for joining Cat in her private germ-free sanctuary. None that included the sensual crook of a pale, slender finger burned into Kara’s memory, anyway.

Eve came to her rescue. She met Cat halfway to her office, ignoring the latte already in her hand. “Ms. Grant! Welcome back! I have your latte, and I’m ready to go over your schedule as soon as you’re settled.”

“Keep up, Ellen. I have a latte. What I don’t have is a mango smoothie, which surely you knew I required from the list of instructions I sent Friday. And get me James Olsen as soon as possible.”

Eve looked to Kara, who shrugged and shook her head. “I–I must have missed your email, Ms. Grant. I’ll get your smoothie right away.” She hurried off, grumbling about faulty email systems and missing James.

“Kara, my office. Now.” Cat glanced back at her bullpen. “Do we suddenly work in a museum? What are you all staring at? Back to work.” Gazes skittered away as Cat entered her glassed-in domain and dropped her bag on the sofa.

The charade was over. Cat had played her part, struck fear into the hearts of her subjects. Now all that was left to do was to take her rightful place on her throne.

Cat made her way to her desk only to stop short. Kara silently willed her to take those final steps, mentally cheering her on. She didn’t miss the subtle clench in Cat’s fists or her deep, unsteady breath. She lent Cat her strength by stepping up behind her, not touching, but close enough that her presence could be felt.

“I know you’re worried. Don’t be. You’re ready.”

“If I take that seat, Kara, and I can’t be trusted, it will be too late. Right now, I can still walk away, but the second I sit down, I’m in charge again. The power of the world’s media at my fingertips.” Cat turned worried eyes on her. “Are you sure you’re willing to take that risk, Supergirl?”

“Cat, we’ve talked about this.” Kara wanted to squeeze her shoulders, but that kind of comfort wasn’t allowed in a fishbowl. “If you can’t trust yourself, then trust me.” In absence of being able to touch her, Kara laid her hand over her own heart. “I trust you. I won’t let you hurt anyone, I promise, but you aren’t compromised. Please believe it as much as I do.”

It was enough. Without another word, Cat sank into her velveteen chair, kicked off her Jimmy Choos, and crossed her legs. She spun and focused on the screens pouring information into her office. “Back to work, Kara. See you this afternoon.”

It seemed like half a lifetime since the last time she’d been in this office with Cat, hugging her goodbye while trying to be noble about how much she would miss her. Kara’s resistance to change had reached a fever pitch, but her desire to see Cat happy had given her the strength to let Cat go.

But now, with Cat back where she belonged, radiating power like Kara’s yellow sun, her world tilted back onto its rightful axis and something in Kara’s heart… settled. Things made sense again, and she found herself fighting back the sting of tears.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kara admired Cat Grant back in her natural habitat for a moment before she turned to take her place among Cat’s adoring masses.

***

Lena was wondering if it were too early in the day for Chianti when her intercom buzzed. She pressed the button on her desk phone. “Yes?”

Jess sounded nervous and harried. “Your mother is on line one, Ms. Luthor.”

Lena pinched the bridge of her nose. “Put her through, Jess.” She heard the click of the line transferring and steeled herself for the demise of her day. “Hello, Mother. It’s been a few months. He divorce you yet?”

“Don’t be cheeky, darling. Sam and I are wonderful, thank you for asking. I’m sorry we didn’t see you at the wedding.”

“I told you I couldn’t make it. Surely you received my gift.”

“Oh yes, it’s… lovely. I see you inherited your father’s affinity for art deco. I’m sure we’ll find somewhere for it.”

Lena looked longingly at the bar again. “Is there a reason you called?”

“I can’t just call to speak to my daughter? You said yourself, it’s been a few months.”

“It’s a bit uncharacteristic. I’m guessing you visited Lex first?” The silence on the other end told Lena everything she needed to know.

Lillian was the first to break it. “Adam is coming to town. I wondered if you’d like to join us for dinner.”

“Adam? Foster? Mother, you’re not still in touch with Adam Foster, are you?”

“Well of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be? He’s here on business and asked to see us.”

Lena leaned back in her chair. Yet another man who was more important to Lillian than her _useless bastard daughter_. On the other hand, she did want to see Adam. He was funny, charming, and kind to her in a way few had been in a long time. Surely, between the two of them, they could manage pleasant conversation out of the evening. “Send me the details. Anything else?”

“Make sure to have CCN on this afternoon. I’ve got a representative going to CatCo after lunch. I’m sure Cat Grant will put a segment on when she hears what we have.”

“Representative of what? You have no part in L-Corp. It came to me after Lex… went away.”

“Oh relax, darling. This has nothing to do with L-Corp. It’s… government business. Everything’s all arranged. It will make for interesting television.”

Lillian had hated Cat Grant for years, so Lena had admired the media mogul by default. Whatever game her mother was playing, Lena would happily bet on Cat to win it. “I’m sure it will.”

“This is for Lex, Lena.” Lillian’s voice turned steely and determined, a tone Lena knew well. She heard it every time she threatened to surpass Lex in intelligence or accomplishment. Any time she proved herself to be every bit the genius as her brother, Lillian was right there to make sure everyone knew who the ‘real’ Luthor was. “I’m trying to clear your brother’s name. Don’t you want Lex vindicated? To prove that what he did was for the good of mankind? To rid the earth of unwelcome alien invaders?”

“Lex is a murderer. Motives notwithstanding, he killed people, with purpose and malice aforethought. He’s a madman now, not the big brother I loved and looked up to as a child.”

“He’s the same man he always was. I intend to prove he was right to mistrust aliens. Watch the interview, Lena. You’ll see.”

Lena rolled her eyes and decided on that glass of wine after all, time of day be damned. “I’ll see you at dinner, Mother.”

She hung up the phone and immediately picked it up again. “Jess? Get me Snapper Carr at CatCo Magazine.”

***

James grinned at the sight of Cat arranging her desk back to the way she liked it. He deposited an organic, protein powder, mango smoothie on her desk. “Eve sends her apologies for missing your email,” he said pointedly, tapping the lid before taking his seat across from her.

Cat pursed her lips. “Well, I suppose it’s possible the email is still in my unsent drafts. I’m almost sure I sent it.” They shared a secret smile.

“She’s really very good, if you don’t scare her too much.”

“I’m sure she is.”

“But she’s no Kara,” James finished knowingly.

Cat swallowed heavily. “James–”

James leaned forward, placing his elbows on Cat’s desk. “When you were taken, she was frantic, single-minded. I’ve seen her angry, but this was on another level.”

“She would have been the same for any of her friends,” Cat deflected.

“Maybe,” James conceded. “I thought once she might look at me the way she looks at you.”

Cat hesitated, cautious. “She should. The two of you are a much better match than…” She shook her head and didn’t finish.

“So I’m not imagining things?”

“Depends,” Cat answered vaguely. “What are you suggesting?”

James rubbed his hand over his head. “She’d jump off Otto Binder Bridge wearing a kryptonite necklace if you asked her to.”

“Don’t be an idiot.”

“Cat…” He reached out to cover her hand, but Cat withdrew. She leaned back in her chair and fiddled with her French manicure, looking anywhere but at him. “That woman out there” – he pointed towards Kara, and Cat was helpless not to look – “will give you the world if you let her. Don’t throw that away.” Her eyes went a little soft, and James saw another brick in her ever-present wall fall away.

Cat slouched in her chair and let her head fall back, eyes now fixed on the ceiling. “I tried to stay away. But then Supergirl flew my car onto a hill, and my beautiful assistant looked down on me from the sky and…”

James tilted his head, giving her an opportunity to find the courage to go on.

“And I couldn’t ignore it anymore.”

He smiled in spite of himself, and Cat shook her head.

“So, I decided to leave. I was prepared to go live in a yurt in Bhutan, for god’s sake.”

“And then Cadmus had other plans.”

Cat stood and came around her desk, leaning against it as she looked down at him. “I understand she charged in like an avenging angel, all anger and ferocity. When I woke up, and she was there, I’d never felt so safe.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, James. I never meant for this to happen.”

“It’s okay,” he was quick to placate, even though finally hearing the truth stung a bit. “I always knew on some level. Whenever you’re in the room, her attention is entirely spoken for, and so is yours, if you don’t mind my saying.”

She rolled her eyes.

“If I had to lose her, I can accept losing her to the most powerful person in National City,” he teased with a hint of sadness.

“Well.” Cat tried valiantly not to blush. “At least she has flawless taste. I mean, look at us.” She gestured between the two of them.

James chuckled, but he was glad to change the subject. He’d known Cat long enough to realize when sharing time was over. “So, what can I do for you, boss?”

“I’m sending you on assignment for the morning.” Cat shifted gears as smoothly as an Aston Martin in a Bond film when she stood and returned to her chair.

James’s eyebrows lifted, but he didn’t respond.

“Kara… may have suggested that the staff would respond to my return more smoothly if you weren’t available to them. It was impertinent and presumptuous, but she’s not wrong.” Cat folded her hands and leaned across her desk. “You’re a strong, charismatic leader, James. There’s a reason I put you in charge. I don’t want everyone to feel like they need to question their loyalty to you or to me. If we present a united front, and you volunteer to cover the garden party today, it will send a message.”

Trying to adjust to his demotion with grace, James nodded, before allowing himself a nostalgic glance around the office. He would miss holding the keys to the kingdom, no matter how temporary that role was meant to be.

“You know…” Cat picked up a pen and fiddled with the cap as she spoke. “I still intend to find a new balance in my life. Work fewer hours, spend more time with Carter, write, read.” She hesitated. “Maybe pick up my old reporter’s notebook again, work the streets?” She sat back and spun her chair to focus on the National City skyline. “My kidnapping didn’t change any of that, and my recent forays back into investigation have been… invigorating.”

“Cat?” James was waiting for the point. It was unlike Cat to dance around it.

“I could use an extra pair of hands to take on some of the editing and content administration. I shouldn’t be reviewing every Tribune layout and story pitch. My attention needs to be focused on acquisitions and keeping the lights on in this place.” She shrugged. “And maybe finding time to go digging on a story or two. What would you say to a permanent promotion?”

“To… what, exactly?”

Cat waved her pen dismissively. “We’ll come up with a title that suits. Take a day or two and think about it. If art direction is what you want, you’re welcome to stay where you are, but you’re destined for bigger things, Jimmy. I always thought so, even back at the Planet when you were following Clark around like a puppy.”

James chuckled again. “Uh, alright, Cat. I’ll think about it. Thank you.”

“The staff meeting is about to start. I’ll send you out with your camera immediately after. I’m meeting with Kara about Cadmus this afternoon. I’d like you to help her with whatever stories she plans to chase on that subject.”

James shifted in his chair. “Cat, I’m not sure I should. Kara and I, we’re still figuring things out. She may not take too well to a sideline coach.”

“She doesn’t have a choice.”

A handful of department heads began trickling into the office. James nodded and stood, ready to take his place among the rabble as the Queen of All Media took back her crown.

***

Snapper rubbed his forehead, wishing he’d taken a holiday off for once. He’d been trying to get Lena Luthor off his phone for nearly five minutes, but she continued to press.

“Listen, I don’t know what to tell you, Ms. Luthor. It’s not going in my magazine, and whatever stories Cat Grant chooses to toss to her other news outlets don’t go through me. Any interview Ms. Grant has arranged with your mother must be directly with CCN or the Trib.”

“My mother won’t be satisfied with just one network, Mr. Carr. She’ll want the whole of CatCo to cover whatever she’s planning, and she’ll have the resources to make it happen, Cat Grant’s wishes be damned. Whoever she’s sending as a representative, I wouldn’t let them in the building let alone interview them.”

Snapper bit back a frustrated growl, placed his glasses on his forehead, and leaned back in his chair.

“I appreciate you’re worried that your mother may be up to something, and maybe you’re right, but I’m not Cat Grant’s lapdog. Mommy Dearest isn’t my concern.” He’d had quite enough of the Luthor family in Metropolis and the way they had their wealthy fingers in everything.

“Well. I did my civic duty and tried to warn you.” Lena sighed. “Best of luck.”

Snapper heard the line go dead. He wasn’t sure if he should feel guilty or scolded, but decided he had time to feel neither. He tossed the phone back on the cradle and got back to work.

***

Lillian hung up and smiled at the man opposite her as she leaned her elbows on her desk. “You’re scheduled for 1:30 in Cat Grant’s office. You have our little present for Supergirl?”

Donovan pulled a soot-stained cloth from his pocket and unwrapped it, revealing the pitch-black stone glinting in the florescent light. “She won’t know what hit her, boss.”

Lillian smirked. “Quite. We’ll show the world what a monster Supergirl can be, and destroy Cat’s pretty Girl Friday for good. Two birds, one stone as they say.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Donovan said as he stood, setting the stone in a small, black box for safekeeping.

Lillian stood as well. “Cat’s secondary programming will do most of the work for you, but a little softening around the edges can’t hurt. Once you’ve removed the hero from her pet reporter, all obstacles will be out of our way. Cat will do exactly what we want.” Her eyes turned flinty as her smile faded. “Don’t screw it up.”

***

J’onn knocked on the solid, wood door with the back of a single knuckle. He heard a bit of rustling on the other side and put his hands on his hips as he waited. For a fleeting moment, he wished he’d forsaken his daily uniform and dug out one of his few pairs of jeans from the back of his closet. Figuring the imposing director of the DEO wasn’t the right tone to strike, he let his arms hang at his sides. When that felt awkward, he gave the door another knock and crossed his arms defensively. Rolling his eyes at his indecision, J’onn shoved one hand into his pocket and attempted to look casual. As he brought his other up to scratch nervously at the back of his head, the heavy door swung open to reveal M’gann in a sharply-tailored pinstripe pantsuit, clutching a stack of notecards.

“J’onn, uh, hi.” She smiled tentatively. “What are you doing here?”

“May I come in?” As greetings went, it wasn’t his friendliest, but trying to get past his desire to lock her up and throw away the key was like reaching for the summit of an impossible mountain, so he didn’t dwell on it too much. He’d resisted the urge to greet her in their native tongue, an honor he couldn’t extend just yet.

“That depends.” M’gann’s brow furrowed. “You here to talk me out of this?” She waved her notecards and tilted her head.

J’onn held his hands up. “I’m here to lend my support.” He tried to get a read on her state of mind, finding a lot of nerves and a small vibration of focused determination, but she was blocking him from anything deeper or more specific. Tentatively, he opened his mind to her, and was both hurt and relieved when she made no attempt to enter it. “And, maybe offer a proper apology.”

After a tense moment, M’gann stepped aside and gestured for him to come in. “I’d give you the dime tour, but you can see every inch of this place from here.”

“It’s nice,” he said, and meant it.

Shutting the door, M’gann sighed and looked around. “It isn’t much, but the generosity by which it was given, and Cat’s flawless taste in starter furniture, make it feel like a home.” She made her way to the single picture window overlooking the bustling warehouse district. “The view is especially nice.”

J’onn joined her and followed her pointing finger. “I smell bread baking in the mornings. The bakery is downstairs. There’s an improv theatre directly across from my window, so I can hear the music and laughter when it’s open.” She gestured down the block. “There’s a hipster art gallery next door to an adult bookstore.” M’gann flashed him a smile. “Cat knows me better than she thinks.”

J’onn cleared his throat and attempted a smile, only half succeeding before turning stoic again. “She’s… something.”

M’gann nodded. “A force of nature since the day I met her. But you didn’t come here to talk about Cat Grant.”

“No, but I’d be lying if I said she didn’t have some influence.” J’onn shoved his hands in his pockets again and began to pace the room, silently cursing his uncharacteristic nerves. He battled with his lifelong hatred of her kind, but he’d come here to make peace for both their sakes.

J’onn steeled his resolve. What she was doing mattered more than his discomfort. “I’m… sorry, M’gann.”

M’gann clearly wasn’t ready to let him off easily. “For?”

“For all of it. For generalizing you with all Whites. For assuming the worst. For trampling your rights.” J’onn stopped pacing and faced her, eye to eye. “Suffice it to say, if there is something I did that made your life or your work more difficult, that victimized you in any way, I’m deeply sorry for it.”

M’gann clutched her notecards tighter, but she nodded. “Apology accepted. Thank you.” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry too. For lying… for all of it. I alone bear the burden of penance for the sins of my people. I intend to pay it.”

Her cards were beginning to crumple in her grip, so J’onn stepped forward and laid his hands on hers, surprised when he felt nothing but warm skin rather than revulsion. He gently pried the cards from her fingers. “You’re destroying those,” he murmured. “Something tells me you may need them this afternoon.”

M’gann tentatively reached for him only to change her mind, shaking her hands in an attempt to loosen them up. “I’m nervous.” She smiled and turned away from him. “I’m used to working in secret. In the shadows. Now Cat thinks I should be the face of alien rights in National City. I just… want to rebuild my bar and go back to gathering clothes for refugees.” She leaned against the window and tipped her head back until it knocked against the pane.

J’onn leaned against the wall next to her. “You’re going to be great at this. Your words inspire people. Make them think about the choices they make. You make people see things from a different point of view.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because you inspired me. And Alex, and Cat.” J’onn met her eyes. “Kara. Though most things inspire her, admittedly.” He straightened and stepped in front of her. “We’re all making different choices, better choices, because of the things you’ve said and done for us.” J’onn took M’gann by the shoulders to let her see his truth. “I think you could do even more good than you already have. Inspire people to help you. I’d… like to help you, if you’ll let me.”

An eternity passed in the silence between them before M’gann cautiously leaned in and rested her forehead against his. She placed two fingers against his temple and brought one of his hands to her own.

J’onn opened his mind to another Martian for the first time in hundreds of years. He willed himself not to tremble as their minds came together, and finally, finally, there were no more secrets between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have been so, so, SO encouraged and heartened by your comments. Some of you on every chapter, sometimes joy, sometimes amusing threats, but every word of them is appreciated. It’s a long story and you won’t get time every day, but whenever you are moved, PLEASE comment on the art and on the writing. It means the world, and it makes this feel like a real community effort. Thank you.


	3. Act I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some additional art for this first Act of Storm...

  
  


Well that’s cool. How wicked is this poster art from [@ofpensandcupcakes](https://tmblr.co/mWaEB5Zs4-ZHGxAzvrscQbg)? Let her know what you think in the comments or in her [ask box](https://ofpensandcupcakes.tumblr.com/ask)! Our artists love hearing from you!


	4. Act II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Supergirl Virtual Season...  
  
---  
  
@reginalovesemma brings us a lovely moment between J’onn and M’gann. Love on the gifs here or hit her [Tumblr ask](http://reginalovesemma.tumblr.com/ask).


	5. Act II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat and Kara’s afternoon interview winds up looking a little suspicious, so plans are made to tread carefully. James spends the morning reacquainting himself with his camera and navigating a run-in with a former and current adversary. Lucy finds an unexpected ally in her new stepsister, Lena Luthor. And a surprise guest turns up at CatCo, catching Cat entirely off guard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>    
> 
> 
> Getting fancy from @xy0009!  
> Hit the comments or [ask box](http://xy0009.tumblr.com/ask) about the pretty.
> 
> Thank you to @spaceshipsarecool ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceshipsarecool) | [tumblr](http://spaceshipsarecool.tumblr.com/ask)) for editing work on this, and additional editing from @fictorium and @inspectorboxer.

At 12:30 sharp, Eve entered Cat’s office with an ahi lettuce wrap and a fresh latte. “Ms. Grant,” she began tentatively.

Cat looked up through her cat-eye glasses as Eve set the tray on her desk. “Don’t simper, Ella. If you have something to tell me, out with it.”

Eve straightened her spine and gripped a thin manila folder. “We never did have a chance to cover your schedule today. There was a last-minute addition. You have a meeting with the American Humanity Council at 1:30 this afternoon.”

Cat narrowed her eyes, but decided to give Eve a moment to sink or swim. She crossed her arms in silence.

Eve cleared her throat as a tiny fire alighted in her eyes. “You should take this meeting, Ms. Grant.”

_There she is,_ Cat thought. There was the woman who had marched dozens of her colleagues from this very building; the woman with the courage to stand up and demand respect and equality.

Kara and James had been right. Eve was smart and sweet, and based on what Cat had seen recently, made of stronger stuff than anyone knew. Kara might have superhuman powers, but maybe she wasn’t the only girl of steel working for her. Cat saw much of Kara in Eve, so in true boss-from-hell fashion, she pushed back to test Eve’s mettle.

“You are the gatekeeper, Ms. Teschmacher. I expect you to triage these requests for validity and integrity.” She stood, rounding the desk to stand before Eve in full intimidation mode. To her hidden delight, Eve didn’t shrink. “What makes you think this office–”

“I know what you’re thinking,” a stony-jawed Eve pleaded her case. “CatCo would never consider giving a platform to such a biased, supremacist organization. But,” she said, flipping open her manila folder and rifling through a couple of pages, “I did a tiny bit of research, and I think there might be an opportunity here to catch them in a lie, expose who they really work for.” She handed the folder to Cat, waiting for her to look it over.

Cat suppressed a proud smile and removed her glasses. She was faintly curious about what Eve had discovered. “Legitimate journalists don’t practice gotcha journalism. I am not Nancy Grace. We report the facts.”

“Exactly.” Eve’s uncharacteristic confidence remained. “Just… look at it.” She turned and left the office.

Cat gave Eve’s research a once-over. It was good… really good. She made a few notes, and after a few minutes, her voice barreled across the bullpen.

“Teschmacher!”

Eve hustled back into the office.

“Get me Kara Danvers. Now.”

***

“Ms. Luthor?” Jess’s voice echoed in Lena’s sparse, cavernous office and startled her a bit. She missed the days where she could hole up in a lab with nothing but a constant flow of terrible coffee, a soldering rod, and a pile of hardware waiting to be turned into something groundbreaking.

Now her hours were filled with shareholder meetings, long conference calls with overseas investors, and tech pitches from shady, mad-scientist types trying to capitalize on Lex’s sociopathy. It was heartbreakingly lonely, here at the top of the world. In free moments, she pulled out her old graphing calculator and a run-of-the mill black-and-white composition book and ran proofing drills she used to do while wrapped up in silk sheets with her old grad school robotics professor.

Audrey had been abrasive and harsh, but brilliant, inspiring, and sinfully hot. Lena missed having somebody like Audrey in her life, to have someone to talk to, if not all the rest of it.

“Yes, Jess?”

“Major Lucy Lane is here to see you? I’m sorry, she doesn’t have an appointment.”

Lena’s brow furrowed. She hadn’t spoken to Lucy since that impossibly awkward dinner so many months ago when Sam and Lillian had announced their rapidly impending marriage. Granted, they had shared an extra glass of wine together in her mother’s sprawling library in solidarity, but she’d honestly never expected to hear from any member of the Lane family again.

“Send her in, and bring in some coffee if you would, please.”

“Right away, Ms. Luthor.”

Lucy stepped into Lena’s inner sanctum and offered her a tentative smile. Lena took note of her high-waisted charcoal trousers and silk shirt, in a deep emerald that complimented her green eyes. Understated jewelry and a pair of last season’s Ferragamos told Lena that Lucy had come dressed to impress, but that she was living on a government salary. Lena suddenly felt embarrassed that she’d kicked off her own pumps and was padding across the floor in stocking feet. “Welcome, Lucy. I’m sorry you caught me in such a casual moment. I wasn’t expecting anyone today.” They shook hands.

“No! I’m sorry.” Lucy waved off the apology. “I know it’s weird for me to just drop in like this, but I’ve actually been meaning to. My father sort of… gave me a reason.”

Lena cocked her head, curious. “That sounds downright ominous. Please sit.”

Settling on the sofa, Lucy crossed her legs and Lena did the same, leaning against her hand where her arm was propped against the back of the couch.

“My dad called me this morning,” Lucy began. “Until about six months ago, we spoke every day. Now? Him calling me out of the blue is a helluva red flag.”

“Hm.” Lena picked at a piece of lint on the upholstery. “I got a call from my mother this morning too. Do you suppose they decided, while away on their paradise honeymoon, to finally become decent parents?”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Not likely. He told me to keep my eye on the news this afternoon. He made it sound like there was a surprise or something that I’d miss out on if I didn’t.”

“Mother said the same thing. What are they up to, Lucy?”

Lucy shifted in her seat, resting her elbows on her knees. “I don’t know, but my dad hates the media. Specifically, legitimate media like CatCo. He’s one of those nutty, Fox News, Breitbart conspiracy theorists who believes mainstream media is in collusion with the left-wing government to turn America into a socialist hippie wasteland.”

Lena covered her unladylike snort with the back of her hand and flipped her long ponytail over her shoulder. “How did he and my mother even meet? She loves cameras. Surely you saw her Grieving Mother Press Tour when Lex was convicted? I thought _The Talk_ was going to offer her a hosting job.”

Jess entered carrying a silver coffee service complete with a small plate of pastries. Lena met her assistant’s eyes as she set the tray down. “Hang on a second, Jess.” She turned to Lucy. “Do you like sushi? I’m sure we can find a way to pass the time as only new sisters can, and we can try to deduce what it is our nefarious parents are up to.”

Lucy grinned. “Sounds great.”

“Two of my usual from Sakari, Jess, and get something for yourself as well. Around 1:00 should do.”

Jess nodded and left, closing the door with a muffled click.

***

James lowered his camera and took in his surroundings. Nights in the gritty streets of Metropolis, chasing down stories with Clark, and taking memory cards full of photos of Superman had always left room somewhere in the corner of his daydreams for afternoons like this one.

Bright, warm sun, a sprawling estate filled with A-list celebrities dripping with diamonds and sipping pink champagne. Carefree people laughing, networking, delivering impersonal cheek kisses, and schmoozing with the press who, in this case, were given carte blanche to roam freely for quotes and photos.

So, that’s what James did. He snapped flattering candids and laughed jovially as groups of identically tanned actors with floppy hair posed for him. He turned on his considerable charm to give politically-minded actresses an opportunity to say how important events like this were for visibility, awareness, and outreach. A popular child star, now grown into a rare, functional, and glamorous adult, was passionately pontificating to him on the issue of sexism and ageism in Hollywood when James spotted the star of this month’s latest blockbuster across the terrace.

He flashed his current subject his best smile, took a final photo of her against the backdrop of the marble fountain, and politely excused himself.

“I understand you’re working,” the young woman said with a shy smile and her tongue peeking through the corner of her lip, “but if you’d care to talk more, say, over drinks, or dinner…”

James couldn’t stop the raise of his eyebrows and let out a nervous chuckle. “Uh… yeah… y’know, I think I’d… really like that.” He dug in his inside jacket pocket and produced an embossed CatCo business card with a bit of confident flourish.

It read simply, ‘CatCo Worldwide Media, James Olsen, Art Director/Interim CEO.’ The girl blushed prettily upon reading it, before turning on her precarious wedge sandals and leaving him behind.

James took a deep cleansing breath, ran one large hand over the back of his head, and enjoyed her walking away.

It was everything he thought he’d wanted, after those years trotting after Clark and dreaming of something bigger, but as he looked around he realized this was just another version of the same reality. These people weren’t better or more admirable than anyone he’d encountered in the back alleys of Metropolis. They just… had more money.

James spied two people on the terrace he never would have expected to see, and his pulse jumped. His grip tightened on his camera as he watched them mingle without a care in the world. Drawing in a deep breath, he threaded through the crowd, focused on his target as she patted her chignon and accepted a flute of champagne from her new husband.

Bracing for impact, James called on every ounce of journalistic bravado he had as he stuck his hand out and turned on his smile. “Secretary Luthor, what an honor to see you here.” He made sure his press credentials were well-displayed. “Would you be able to spare a few minutes for a couple of questions for CatCo Magazine?”

Lillian pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and accepted the handshake while giving James a thorough once-over. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she’d acquired x-ray vision.

“James Olsen,” she said smoothly. “Surely CatCo isn’t so hard up they had to send their interim CEO to cover a simple fundraiser?” Her raised eyebrows and sly smile almost made him falter. Almost.

“Naw,” he brushed her off. “I needed to get out of the office, dust off the old camera, get back out there.” He puffed up a bit. “I’m still a journalist at heart, Madam Secretary.”

“I believe you know my new husband.” Lillian turned to invite him into the conversation. “General Sam Lane, this is James Olsen. He’s filling in for Cat Grant during her sabbatical from CatCo.” James’s skin crawled at her poorly hidden glee as she caressed the word ‘sabbatical,’ and he offered his hand to General Lane, swallowing his disgust.

The general curled his lip in displeasure, but he shook hands anyway. “Mr. Olsen and I go way back, in fact. I see you’ve come up in the world since luring my daughter here only to abandon her.”

James stood his ground, but his smile tightened. “It’s a little more complicated than that, sir.”

“Oh, care to enlighten me then?”

“Lucy is her own woman, General Lane. She’s strong and independent, not that you ever appreciated that about her.” James took a deep breath and his gaze flitted to Lillian, noting the way she watched them curiously.

General Lane turned an unhealthy shade of purple and stepped closer to James. He lowered his voice so the other guests wouldn’t hear, but the bluster was the same. “She only dated you because she knew it would bother me. She was using you, Olsen.”

There was a time this man could get under his skin. There was a time James sought his approval and molded himself into the perfect example of a successful black man to impress this bigoted blowhard, but that time was over. The knowledge of his freedom from the pressures of patronizing Sam Lane washed over him like a summer rain. It was cleansing and life-giving and it fed his courage. “You may be right, sir. She may have gone out on that first date with me to get under your skin. It worked.” James crouched a bit to meet Sam’s eyes. “But it didn’t make what we had any less real.” He basked in Lane’s growing anger. “Now, I can accept my part in my estrangement from Lucy, but what’s your excuse, General?”

Lane shoved one finger in James’s face, and he barely suppressed the desire to break it. “She–”

Lillian placed a calming hand on her husband’s forearm. “Come, dear, this is neither the time nor the place.” Lillian’s gaze swept over James, and she smirked, as though she’d done him a favor calling off her husband.

This woman had harmed his friends and would potentially kill thousands of people if allowed to continue unchecked. To see her standing there a free woman, sipping champagne like she was untouchable, lit a fire in James’s belly. The temptation to call Lillian and Lane out was overwhelming, but he reminded himself they were playing the long game. _Give them enough rope to hang themselves,_ he thought, and it calmed him enough to paint a mirthless smile on his face.

To James’s shock, General Lane backed down, excusing himself to the bar.

Lillian turned her attention back to James. “Now, young man, you had some questions?”

James kept them benign. He stuck mainly to the event at hand, but managed a few probing questions regarding the Department of Health and Human Service’s plan to incorporate aliens into the healthcare community at large; questions Lillian answered with poised and vague diplomacy. Snapper would have a field day with it, if he decided the event was worth a page behind the Versace ad.

When General Lane returned looking decidedly less red-faced, James took a couple of shots of them and departed.

He waited for his Lyft at the top of a narrow, winding road and texted Cat that he was on his way back for their strategy meeting. After dealing with the Lanes, he was more determined than ever to find a way to stop Cadmus. Exposing them would make his first Pulitzer feel like a letter in the church bulletin by the time he was done with them.

***

Out of the corner of her eye, Cat watched Kara flip through the file. Cat paced behind her desk, hands in her pockets, waiting impatiently to see if Kara would spot the same things she did.

When the truth of what she was reading became apparent, Kara’s jaw dropped. “Cat, this has Cadmus written all over it. Eve found this?”

“She did,” Cat answered mildly. “She may not be as utterly useless as I originally thought.”

“Don’t start.” Kara kept her attention on the file. “This reads to me like Lillian is trying to give Cadmus a more palatable public face. Like the Department of Health and Human Services is looking to create a committee specifically targeted towards the discrimination and eradication of aliens.”

“Well, nothing so vicious and untoward right at the start, darling. It will begin as a front for protecting their unique health and wellness interests, expand to Jim Crow-like plans for separate but equal. But eventually, yes, I expect it will descend into the typical fearmongering and decimation of alien communities we’ve seen happen with minorities throughout history. Ones the world has yet to overcome in most cases.”

Cat cocked her head and looked at Kara with pride. “I’m impressed at your ability to read between the lines. There are nuances there that reporters I’ve known for decades wouldn’t have caught.”

Kara blushed at the compliment, and Cat’s heart did a little dance. “I’m not as unworldly as you think. My mother used to discuss her cases with us over dinner. Not details, of course,” Kara added quickly, “but she wanted me to understand justice, just like my father wanted me to understand science.”

Her blue eyes went a little foggy and wistful. “There was this one politician that advocated for full quarantine of any alien visitors on Krypton, to prevent the spread of diseases. I don’t remember a lot, but it started much the same as this. Seemingly good intentions with evil undertones.” Kara’s voice caught slightly. “My mom and Aunt Astra spent hours discussing his agenda. Sometimes I eavesdropped through my bedroom door on their talks. It was one of the few things they agreed on politically.”

Cat had stopped pacing and was listening, hardly daring to breathe. She never dreamed she’d hear stories of Krypton from Kara as she was now, dressed in a flattering, if oddly colored, striped shirt and a surprisingly fashionable pencil skirt she may have picked out herself in her days of thrift boutique shopping. Stories of Krypton and the stars used to be reserved for chats with Supergirl, or more recently, with a hologram of her mother. Another piece to the Kara Danvers puzzle slipped into place as, once again, two became one before her eyes.

Shaking herself from her memories, Kara’s grip tightened on the folder in her hands. “Anyway, I recognize what’s behind this new ‘committee’ Lillian is touting. She’s using her position in the president’s cabinet to advance Cadmus’s agenda.” She met Cat’s eyes. “This meeting… they’re up to something. We should be careful about letting them anywhere near you.”

“Canceling would send the wrong message, so let them come. You believe me to be uncompromised? I suppose we’ll finally know for sure.” Crossing the room, Cat took the folder from Kara’s hands and tossed it on the coffee table next to them. She gripped Kara’s forearms, refusing to let her look away. “Kara, if I go off the rails… if CatCo, or you, or even my journalistic integrity is put at risk, you know what to do.”

Kara’s eyes filled with tears, but Cat watched her set her jaw and will them away. She nodded once. “It won’t come to that. But if it’s what you need to hear, Cat, I’ll protect all of it. And if it takes Supergirl, I guess I know someone with her number, right?”

Cat managed a wan smile. “They’ll be here any minute.” She gave Kara’s arms a final squeeze and took her place behind her desk, bracing herself for the battle ahead.

Kara sat in the chair opposite her. “You want to be good cop or bad cop?”

“Slow down, Barney Fife. We aren’t cops, we’re journalists. Questions, Supergirl, not accusations.”

Nodding with a faint trace of disappointment, Kara returned to her notes.

A knock on Cat’s glass door turned both their heads at once. They stood in tandem, as though choreographed, at the man standing before them.

“Adam,” Cat breathed. “What are you doing here?”

Her son smiled and offered a weak wave. “Hi, Cat.”

***

The guards in the loading bay were easily dispatched. A simple pen injector full of a powerful sedative took them down quickly, and Donovan tucked them out of the way before strolling into the CatCo service elevator a few minutes later. Ordinarily he’d have walked right through the front door, but Cat Grant had gotten enough threats over the years that CatCo now had state-of-the-art security measures. Those would work in his favor soon, but he’d needed the element of surprise to get inside. Setting off the metal detectors with the gun in his pocket would have eliminated that.

Donovan left the handling of the front lobby guards to his erstwhile assistant. He’d take down those men with a similar sedative and stash them out of sight before continuing on his way, just another visitor inside the gates of a media empire.

Taking the elevator to the thirty-eighth floor, Donovan stepped out into an empty hallway to gather himself for the next phase of his plan. They’d laid the groundwork for this weeks ago. While the exact date of Grant’s return had been unknown until recently, Cadmus knew the day was coming and had taken appropriate measures. The fact Grant had chosen a holiday to reclaim her throne played right into their hands, cutting significantly down on foot traffic in and around the building. Gas canisters had been placed in the ductwork on every floor but one. Just a little something fast-acting to help all the poor souls earning time and a half to get in a much-needed nap on the clock, while stopping them from interfering. There would be enough heroes to deal with soon enough.

A soft beep from his phone signaled that his assistant was now safely in place and their targets were in position. With one touch on his phone screen, Donovan sealed every exterior door to the building. Another touch activated the canisters. When he reached the fortieth floor, he would take the final step to divert the landlines and jam all cell reception.

When he heard the hiss of the odorless gas nearby, Donovan ducked into the stairwell, leaving him sealed off and wide awake for what was to come. Tipping his head back, he glanced heavenward and counted to thirty. He smiled then. The only people awake now would be those on the fortieth floor.

Humming a lullaby with dark amusement, Donovan began to climb, the weight of the metal box in his coat pocket thumping quietly against his leg with every step. He could scarcely wait to use its contents on the Girl of Steel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have been so, so, SO encouraged and heartened by your comments. Some of you on every chapter, sometimes joy, sometimes amusing threats, but every word of them is appreciated. It’s a long story and you won’t get time every day, but whenever you are moved, PLEASE comment on the art and on the writing. It means the world, and it makes this feel like a real community effort. Thank you.


	6. Act II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tonight on Supergirl Virtual Season

  
  


One handsome James Olsen by @supergaysupercat ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/octoplods/pseuds/SupergaySupercat) | [tumblr](http://supergaysupercat.tumblr.com)). Please leave comments on the art here or their [tumblr ask box](http://supergaysupercat.tumblr.com/ask).


	7. Act III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tonight on Supergirl Virtual Season

  
  


Everybody’s favourite badass gets the feature spot today, thanks to @pinkrabbitpro. Praise in the comments, or hit her [Tumblr ask](http://pinkrabbitpro.tumblr.com/ask). 


	8. Act III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CatCo is held hostage in CADMUS's latest plot. James calls for reinforcements and Lena offers to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>    
> 
> 
> Getting fancy from @xy0009!  
> Hit the comments or [ask box](http://xy0009.tumblr.com/ask) about the pretty.
> 
> Our editors have carried us this far, so give it up for them please. catherinegranting ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/catherinegranting) | [tumblr](http://catherinegranting.tumblr.com/ask)),@spaceshipsarecool ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceshipsarecool) | [tumblr](http://spaceshipsarecool.tumblr.com/ask)), @Revolos55 ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Revolos55/pseuds/Revolos55) | [tumblr](http://saunteringvaguelydownwards.tumblr.com/ask)).

James swiped his badge at the employee entrance and frowned when the door didn’t budge. He swiped again. Still nothing. In a last-ditch attempt, he called back to all of the times as a kid his Nintendo cartridges wouldn’t work. He blew gently on the magnetic strip and swiped one more time. He was met with silence rather than the friendly access beep.

There was an intercom and a keypad next to the card reader. He pressed the button and a ring blared loudly across the quiet sidewalk. It continued to ring and ring with no answer.

Cupping his hands over his eyes, James tried to peer through the glass at the guard’s desk beyond the doors. It appeared to be unmanned. With a puzzled grunt, James headed for the main entrance. When he reached the revolving doors off the lobby, he was startled to find them locked and the guard desk abandoned as well. His instincts prickled with concern.

Fishing his phone from his pocket, he dialed Kara, looking up to Cat’s balcony.

***

The soft trill of Kara’s ringtone broke the silence. She’d never admit it out loud, but the relief that flooded her when presented with an escape from what was sure to be a terribly awkward conversation was welcome and strong.

Kara fumbled for her phone and adjusted her glasses. A quick glance at Cat and a breathy, “It’s James, I should–”

Cat fluttered her fingers. “Go.” Her eyes didn’t leave Adam, and Kara was glad for the moment of invisibility as she straightened her shoulders and made her exit.

Kara slid past Cat’s son in the doorway, giving him a hesitant smile. “It’s… nice to see you, Adam. Welcome back to National City.” She threw a hasty, “I’ll be right back” over her shoulder to Cat and lifted her phone to her ear.

“Your timing could not be better,” Kara said as she crossed the largely empty bullpen, heading for the windows across the room. “Our meeting might have to wait, though. Adam turned up out of the blue, and Cat has a meeting scheduled with some sketchy lobbyist in a few minutes so–”

“Kara, hold up. I can’t get in the building. All the doors are locked, and I can’t find anyone from security. You and Cat okay?”

Frowning, Kara glanced back at Cat’s office, watching Cat and Adam talk. Cat was smiling softly, and Kara’s chest warmed at the sight. “We’re fine. Security is probably just short-staffed for the holiday. Want me to come down and let you in?”

“That’d be great. I was worried for a second that you–”

“James?” Kara asked when her phone beeped twice and disconnected. She tried to call him back but to no avail. With a sigh, Kara headed to the elevator and punched the down button. When it didn’t light up, she hit it again.

Nothing.

Listening carefully, Kara was met with an eerie silence from the floors below. No one typed at their computers or spoke on their phones. The elevators, almost always in motion, even on the holidays, were conspicuously quiet. Maybe she was being paranoid, but Alex had taught her to never ignore her instincts when she sensed a threat.

She turned towards the stairwell, intending to slip her phone back into her pocket. Cat would complain that it ruined the line of her pants, and Kara blushed now thinking that so many of those comments retrospectively meant Cat had been checking out her ass. Mentally scolding herself for getting distracted, she yanked open the stairwell door and froze when she came face to muzzle with a gun.

“Ah, Miss Danvers,” the stranger drawled. “Just who I had hoped to meet.”

Kara tensed, preparing to disarm him with a burst of superspeed, but he waggled the gun at her.

“Don’t attempt anything ‘super,’ Miss Danvers. I’d hate to kill you with a kryptonite bullet before we’ve had our fun.”

***

Determined to have this surprise visit go better than the last, Cat stepped towards Adam, then changed her mind and turned towards the bar. She busied herself with pulling out crystal glasses and bottles of Pellegrino.

“I… wasn’t expecting you.”

It wasn’t what she wanted to say. She wanted to pull him into her arms and tell him how glad she was to see him and how handsome he looked. Instead, she handed him a glass of water and tilted her head to one side, waiting for him to respond.

“Yeah, I know. I’m in town so I thought I’d drop by. Sorry I didn’t make an appointment. I guess I was worried about seeing Kara. I… thought it might be awkward. But, Kara’s not your assistant anymore?” Cat knew he was fishing, and she wasn’t about to get into the intricacies of her relationship with Kara with him.

“Promotion,” she said simply and changed the subject. “What brings you to National City?”

Adam went a little pink in the cheeks. Cat was immediately reminded of those early days with him when the blood would rush to his face when he was upset or scared. Carter had done the same. Whatever he had to say to her, he was afraid to say it. Afraid of her reaction? Of his own? Afraid that whatever progress they had made the last time he was here would be derailed with a word? She opened her mouth to fill the silence, but Adam beat her to it.

“Uh, a job offer, actually.”

“You’re moving here?” Cat hadn’t meant for it to sound so blunt, so she took a breath and tried again. “Sorry, darling. I’m… still working on my _tone_.” They both smiled. “You have a job offer here in National City?” Cat sat on her sofa and patted the seat next to her. “Tell me about it.”

Adam settled next to her and held his glass firmly between his palms, turning it round and round. “Not exactly in National City, but I will probably have an office here.” He paused, and Cat willed herself not to push, to let him keep talking. “Uh… Lillian wants me to join her cabinet staff.”

Cat couldn’t help her gasp at the name. She stood and crossed back to the bar. “I didn’t know you were still in touch with her.” She made a show of slowly pouring more water.

Adam stood as well, leaving his glass on the coffee table. “Yeah. Well. She’s… always been there for me.”

The hurt was sharp but not unexpected. Cat swallowed heavily and turned around. “I suppose I deserved that.”

Adam looked immediately regretful. “I didn’t mean it like that, Cat. I’m sorry.” He started towards her but stopped when Cat held up her hand.

Her mind was rioting. She wanted so badly to tell him everything Lillian had done, to finally, once and for all, prove to him that Lillian wasn’t the mother he’d always looked to her to be. Even more, she wanted Adam far from Lillian’s orbit while she was planning and executing such dangerous things. Too many of her little helpers met a grim fate along the way. Cat didn’t know how to tell the son she gave up that he was expendable to Lillian, especially not when she saw her own determination etched into his expression. His mind was made up for now, so Cat would have to do what she did best and find a way to change it. Sooner rather than later.

She reached out to him. “No. I’m sorry.”

He crossed the few feet across the office and took Cat’s outstretched hand before drawing her into an unexpected but welcome hug. Cat stood on her tiptoes and set her chin on his shoulder.

“I’m glad you came by,” she murmured.

“Me too.” He pulled away and shoved his hands in his pockets. In that moment, she could see him both as the strapping man he’d become and the dark-eyed toddler who always wanted more of her time, learning too quickly not to demand it.

“Ms. Grant?” Kara’s voice pulled their attention to the door.

Cat frowned when Kara came inside with an unfamiliar man on her heels. He was standing far too close to her, and Cat barely resisted the urge to tell him to back the hell off. No doubt he was her 1:30 appointment. Something slimy about him screamed Cadmus goon. He stepped out around Kara, giving Cat a view of the gun he had pointed at Kara’s side.

Adam bravely put himself between his mother and the gunman, but Cat grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the firing line. He looked at her a little slack-jawed, clearly not expecting even that much maternal instinct from her. Already he was at risk from Lillian’s nefarious schemes, and Cat wouldn’t stand for it. A few shouts of alarm went up from the bullpen, drawing Snapper out of his office to investigate.

“Miss Danvers,” the gunman said in an overly pleasant tone. “Kindly lock this gentleman and your co-workers in the breakroom save for Mr. Carr. Do as I say, and I won’t shoot your pretty boss with one of my lovely _customized_ bullets.”

Cat twitched, understanding the implication. She could practically see Kara’s mind racing, the younger woman weighing the risks, but Cat would be damned before she let Kara out her super alter-ego if they could possibly avoid it. “You already had an appointment,” she huffed. “Was this necessary?”

“Had to make sure you’d be here, Ms. Grant. Now I won’t ask again, girl. Take the others to the break room and lock them inside.”

Kara met Cat’s eyes, and Cat didn’t miss the hint of anger stirring deep in that ocean-blue. She nodded once for Kara to comply, and Kara reluctantly gestured for Adam to join her.

“Like hell,” Adam snarled.

Settling her hands on Adam’s upper arms, Cat squeezed slightly. With Carter, she could have loomed over him a little, but this son had a head and shoulders on her. “It’s all right. I hate to say it, but this isn’t my first time in this situation. Or even my…” She counted in her head. “Fifth?”

“Now!” the gunman shouted and Kara jerked into motion, grabbing Adam by the arm and no doubt using a little superstrength to tug him along. “Save your touching family reunion for another time.”

The gunman wasn’t impressed by Kara’s dawdling, and Cat almost agreed with him in her rush to get Adam free of imminent danger. “Get a move on, and nobody gets hurt. Resist?” He cocked the hammer on the gun and aimed it at Cat, who felt that familiar spike of dread shiver down her spine. “Your dear pet Cat loses all nine lives. Now get moving, we have much to do still.”

“What do you want?” Kara spat.

“I want you and Baldy here to get a camera set up. Ms. Grant is going to make a very important broadcast.”

“Go on, Ponytail,” Snapper urged quietly as he came the rest of the way into the office, giving Cat another person to worry about. “The sooner you’re back, the sooner this is over.”

Jaw clenched, Kara glared at the gunman as she led Adam away. She was clearly struggling with her temper, and in an already fraught situation, it had Cat concerned. They couldn’t afford rash, destructive actions. Hell, it might be another setup to make Supergirl look like the aggressor.

Cat swallowed. Did Lillian actually believe she was under their control after all, or were they resorting to these ham-handed tactics as a last resort? Either way, she had no intention of letting them succeed.

“So what’s this about, really?” Cat demanded, stalling for time. She stepped toward him rather than away, refusing to let Cadmus intimidate her any more than they already had.

The gunman spared a glance for Snapper as Kara escorted the other employees out of the bullpen. “Go get a camera, Baldy,” he ordered. “And don’t get clever, the landlines are already diverted. No one outside of this building will know anything is up. As for the ones inside? Well, most of them are having a nice nap right about now.”

Snapper narrowed his eyes. “Since you asked so nicely.” He reluctantly left, following orders.

“Well? Will my people wake up from this nap?” Cat snapped when they were gone, furious Cadmus had involved her people, her _son_ , in this war. She got a dismissive nod in response, but it was enough to make her feel marginally better. She was tired of this central casting mad scientist calling the shots. Time to take over the show. “Do I get a name, or should I simply come up with a creative insult or two?”

“Dr. Dabney Donovan, Ms. Grant. I’ve been waiting to meet you for some time.”

_Do give the doctor my regards when you meet._ Lillian’s warning from the gala echoed in Cat’s head. “Seems we’ve been waiting on you as well… Doctor.”

***

Winn came equipped with a full surveillance van, Susan Vasquez, and a small team of agents. James watched, impressed, as Vasquez ordered the agents to fan out in their black FBI windbreakers, cordoning off the block around the building. They’d made it to CatCo in less than five minutes.

Settling into his seat in the back of the van, Winn brought his computers out of sleep mode as James ducked his head inside.

“Thanks for coming, man. Maybe I’m being paranoid, but something’s off. No cells are working, and the landlines are up, but no matter who I try I don’t get quite the right person. Email is just sitting in the outbox.”

“No problemo. Better safe than sorry with Cadmus around. I pinged Kara’s and Cat’s phones and they’re both being jammed. The rest I’ll work out, just a matter of time.”

Sometimes it was nice being right, but this wasn’t one of them. “You call Alex?” James asked.

Winn shook his head. “Not yet. Wanted to have something to report first. She’s ‘training’ with Maggie at the desert base today. Not much she can do from there anyway.” He brought up the schematics to the CatCo building from basement to helipad.

“Do I want to know how you know that? Or how you got ahold of those?” James asked warily.

“Nope.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s get hacky here. If anyone can get us in, the Schott-Man can.” He cracked his knuckles before his fingers began to fly over the keys.

“Winn?”

“Yeah, buddy?”

“Don’t call yourself ‘Schott-Man’ again.”

Vasquez jogged up to the van. “Perimeter secure. Noonan’s is closed but we spotted some unconscious employees inside. Looks like someone used some kind of fasting-acting gas on them, but it’s evaporated already.”

“Are they okay?” James asked in concern.

“Just sleeping,” Vasquez reassured. “Rest of the block is a ghost town today. You got us in yet?” she asked Winn.

“Patience, grasshopper,” Winn scolded, ignoring Vasquez’s intimidating glare but typing even faster.

“Can you get the doors open at least, or do I need to take over?” she snapped.

“Negative, Ghost Rider,” Winn lamented. “I built that security measure myself, at Ms. Grant’s insistence. Her last IT guy was a little… disgruntled when he left. Cat wanted to make sure the doors and elevators could only be manipulated from inside the building, so he couldn’t let himself in.”

“But if you built it–” James began.

“It’s unhackable _because_ I built it.” Winn raised his eyebrows and turned to look at him. “You call the cops too? We gonna have company?”

James shook his head. Maggie was the only cop he trusted right now. “Figured we’d better keep this in the family. Longer this goes on, though, they’ll likely show up.”

“You got feeds?” Vasquez asked.

“Ah, now _that_ I can do.” Winn lit up the screens with views from inside the building. “I left a backdoor into the feeds when I left. Alex’s idea in case something like this ever happened and Kara was at risk. Security, on the other hand, is going to take me a while.”

“I could just take out the doors or windows,” Vasquez suggested, clearly eager to act.

“Not until we know what we’re dealing with,” Winn murmured. “And you’ll activate the fire panels. Thick sheets of metal will drop down over all the windows if you try it.” A few keystrokes showed a number of employees slumped over at their desks. James did his best to convince himself they were merely unconscious like the waiters in Noonan’s and not something worse.

Finally, Winn brought up the camera near the break room on the fortieth floor, just in time to see Kara lock everyone inside. Winn’s frown of concentration deepened as he cycled through the cameras until he found one with a partial view into Cat’s office. They couldn’t see Cat, but Snapper stepped out, leaving behind a man with a gun.

“Damnit. I need to call Agent Danvers and Director Lane.” Vasquez slid her phone out of tactical vest. “Deal with the broadcast feeds, Schott.”

James watched her as she stepped away. “At least we know they’re alive.” His brow furrowed as the image of Cat’s office temporarily vanished, replaced with the previously recorded news program coming out of CatCo Plaza. “What are you doing, man?”

“Following orders and what Cat would want me to do. If Cadmus has control, the last thing we need is them taking over CatCo’s airwaves. I’m looping anything they try to broadcast live from Cat’s office. It’ll look like they’re broadcasting, but the only ones who will see it are us and them. Satellite feeds belong to me now. Might have to put on a repeat or two, though, if we don’t have this wrapped up in the next thirty minutes. Hope Cat doesn’t mind.”

“I’m sure she’ll forgive you this once,” James grumbled.

“Hey, Mr. Olsen?” James started and turned at the adolescent voice attached to the hand tapping him on the shoulder. Carter Grant stood before him, clutching the straps of his backpack and shuffling worriedly on his feet. “What’s going on?”

“Carter.” James looked around the street, cordoned off and secured by an entire team of black-clad DEO agents. “How did you get past the barricades?”

Carter pointed to an alley. “Shortcut. There’s a narrow space between a few buildings I can slip through if I take my backpack off.”

James waved down an agent to secure that area just in case Cadmus had a few small, slippery operatives to worry about. He put a hand on Carter’s shoulder and steered him to the back of the van, sitting him down on the bumper. “Just, hang tight, kid. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

***

Lucy’s phone rang as she took her last bite of spicy eel roll. She wiped her hands on a napkin and murmured an impolite, “Sorry.” Swallowing hastily, she answered. “Lane.”

Vasquez wasted no time in giving her a full report, and Lucy surged to her feet. “Goddammit. I’m on my way.”

“What’s wrong?” Lena asked with concern. She stood gracefully, muting the TV they’d been eyeing to make sure their parents were behaving themselves where CatCo was concerned.

“I think I’m on to our parents’ latest plot. Seems your mother’s Humanity Council representative isn’t there for a simple interview.”

“What do you mean?” Lena’s face remained passive, but Lucy saw annoyance flicker in her eyes.

“He appears to be holding everyone at CatCo hostage, including Cat Grant. The whole building is locked down. Even my best tech can’t get in. They think this guy is trying to get Cat to broadcast a message via CCN.”

Lena drew in a deep breath and glanced again at the television. “It doesn’t appear to be working.”

“Never send a minion to do a villain’s job,” Lucy muttered.

One perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose, and Lucy snorted indelicately. “Sorry. Sorry, that was really inappropriate.”

“My mother? Do something that could implicate her personally? Perish the thought.” Lena’s mouth turned up at the corners, and Lucy was relieved she hadn’t offended her.

“Yeah, well, something tells me Dear Old Dad isn’t innocent in this little mustache-twirling melodrama.” Lucy gathered her things. “I have to get down there. There may not be much I can do right away, but two of my assets are inside that building and they’re my responsibility.”

“I know it’s unorthodox, but can I come? Not out of any kind of curiosity, I assure you. I actually might be able to help.” Lena strode to her desk and fished a device out of her bottom drawer. “This is a prototype. It’s a software code override that can pick apart and reverse nearly any program. If it’s a computer keeping the doors locked, this little baby may be able to unlock them.”

Lucy was wary, but she felt a twinge of guilt at her suspicion. “Lena, I appreciate the offer, but it’s an active hostage situation. That’s no place for civilians.”

“Would it help to know I consult for the FBI… or that I’m perfectly aware of who and what the DEO is? That I know who you think my mother likely works for?”

Lucy couldn’t give in on this, but at least Lena wasn’t completely in the dark about her mother’s ties to Cadmus. “I’m sorry. I have people to answer to, and allowing a civilian into a live hostage negotiation wouldn’t go over well with my superiors.”

“You mean bringing a Luthor,” Lena accused.

Lucy knew what it was like to be mistrusted simply because of your parentage. She started to protest, but Lena waved her off with a vague flap of her arm and placed the device, a silver-plated cylinder with a USB adapter on one end, on her desktop. “I understand.”

“No, Lena, you don’t.” Lucy took a deep breath. If Lena really was on their side, maybe she could help cement that loyalty. “Listen, if you really want to do something, take a look inside at L-Corp. Are you sure your brother didn’t leave breadcrumbs for Lillian to follow right in the backdoor?” Lena looked at her quizzically. “I just, think maybe you should… take a look. If you find anything fishy, quietly shut it down. It will limit Lillian’s funds and power. She won’t be able to open those channels again without giving herself away.”

Their eyes met, and Lucy saw uncertainty, hurt, and a flash of anger. She’d miscalculated and pushed too hard, and she backpedaled immediately. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m so sorry. That’s your mother and–”

“It’s okay.” Lena shook her head. “God knows you’re probably right. I don’t want to think the worst of her, but she’s never given me any reason to think otherwise. I’ll make a few inquiries.” She nodded at the device on her desk. “At least take that with you. I’m sure your technical analyst will be able to operate it. I would… like it back though. It’s my only one.”

Lucy nodded and palmed the device. “I really am sorry,” she insisted, moving toward the door, her worry for Kara and Cat urging her to hurry. “Thanks for everything today. It was really nice getting to know you.”

“Likewise.” Lena tilted her head, almost as though she wasn’t sure she should say what was coming next. “You know, I always wanted a sister? Our parents getting married may leave something of a sour taste in our mouths, but maybe you and I can…” She shrugged a bit helplessly. ”Make lemonade out of lemons?”

Intrigued by the prospect even if she didn’t have time to dwell on it right now, Lucy flashed her a quick smile. “I’ll see you soon.”

As she took the elevator to the ground floor, she studied Lena’s device. Could she trust it? Would it even work? There was only one way to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have been so, so, SO encouraged and heartened by your comments. Some of you on every chapter, sometimes joy, sometimes amusing threats, but every word of them is appreciated. It’s a long story and you won’t get time every day, but whenever you are moved, PLEASE comment on the art and on the writing. It means the world, and it makes this feel like a real community effort. Thank you.


	9. Act IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tonight on Supergirl Virtual Season...

  
  


A hint of what’s coming tonight from @supergaysupercat. Count your Karas folks. It’s gonna get… complicated. Love can be applied in the comments or [Tumblr ask](http://supergaysupercat.tumblr.com/ask)


	10. Act IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cadmus’s true motivations for holding CatCo hostage are revealed, putting Kara's identity and life at risk. Outside CatCo, rescue efforts continue, and an unlikely hero emerges and catches Donovan by surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>    
> 
> 
> Getting fancy from @xy0009!  
> Hit the comments or [ask box](http://xy0009.tumblr.com/ask) about the pretty.
> 
> Thank you to @spaceshipsarecool ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceshipsarecool) | [tumblr](http://spaceshipsarecool.tumblr.com/ask)) for editing work on this, and additional editing from @fictorium and @inspectorboxer.

Kara finished securing the break room door and headed back to Cat’s office. Just beneath the surface, her rage gathered steam, and she craved a quiet place to let it out before she did something she could never undo.

With a burst of superspeed, she ducked into the windowless sanctuary Cat had given her. She wanted nothing more than to change into her supersuit and fly to Cat’s rescue, but with that bastard holding a gun to Cat’s head, one miscalculation on her part and she could get Cat killed. Kara couldn’t risk it.

Her anger boiled over in a hot flash, and Kara lashed out. Each punch to the wall snapped a tiny rubber band of tension inside her. Damn Cadmus for targeting Cat. Damn Lillian for her nefarious plans. Damn Adam for showing back up in their lives at the worst possible time. With her final blow, that last thought hung on.

What was Adam doing here? At the exact time they were threatened? Kara buried her fingers in her hair and doubled over, groaning. “Pull it together, Kara. Focus on getting Cat out of this alive. Deal with Adam later.” She swung open the door to her office, crushing the doorknob like newspaper.

As she passed the elevators, Snapper jogged by, carrying a camera and tripod. “Keep up, Ponytail. I don’t want to get shot today.”

***

“I’ll never say these wretched things on camera,” Cat huffed, throwing the piece of paper Donovan had given her back in his face. “You can hold a gun to my head and roll all the cameras you want, _Doctor_ , but you won’t take my integrity.”

Donovan smiled sickly. “So noble, Ms. Grant. But see” – he tightened his grip on the gun that was already too close to her face for emphasis – “you won’t have a choice.” He stared into her eyes, and Cat forced herself to hold contact. “Dr. Luthor always has a backup plan. With you, that plan came first. A little… suggestion, planted in your pretty head. The only trigger I need is the phrase I’m about to utter. When I say it? You’ll do whatever I ask.”

Cat swallowed hard, every fear she’d had since being taken rushing up and over her. She could only pray that whatever Cadmus had planned, Kara could stop them.

“‘The time has come,’ the Walrus said, ‘to talk of many things.’” Donovan stepped back, but he didn’t take his eyes from hers, and Cat had a fleeting moment of wondering what in the hell kind of trigger phrase was _that_? Leave it to Lillian to pick a damn quote from _Jabberwocky_.

But then recognition swept through Cat so fast she lost her breath. Memories of a hard chair, inclined like a nightmarish dentist’s contraption, flickered through her mind. She could almost feel the mist drifting over her skin as Lillian whispered the phrase over and over in her mind. One last weapon, planted deep in Cat’s mind, waiting to be used at just the right moment.

Cat closed her eyes against a wave of vertigo, but when she searched her desire to act, the fire in her belly that always told her what was right and just, she found only her own voice.

And Kara’s.

Jeremiah must have diluted the doses of Mercy, or rendered it inert in some subtle way. Saved by a Danvers yet again.

Her confidence returned in full, like it had been held at bay by a dam of her own making. The cracks Kara had chipped in it with her unfailing faith had finally won the day. Cat smiled compliantly and accepted the paper with Donovan’s disgusting rhetoric. “Well,” she played along sweetly until a plan presented itself. “Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”

“What did you do to her?” Kara snapped as she stormed back into the office, Snapper rushing in beside her.

Donovan looked positively giddy at Cat’s compliance, but he kept the gun near her temple, insuring Kara didn’t try anything stupid. “Nothing you need to worry about. You’re about to have bigger problems, dear.”

Snapper shifted protectively closer to Kara, setting the tripod down and tightening his grip on the camera in his hand. “Why don’t you let the girl go? I can handle whatever broadcast you want.”

Kara looked to Cat and did a double take as their eyes met, spying the glimmer of focused determination Cat wanted her to see. Certain Donovan’s attention was elsewhere, Cat winked at her, and some of the tension in Kara’s shoulders eased.

“Not yet. You’re in for quite the exclusive, Mr. Carr. Set up your gear. Quickly.”

Clenching his jaw, Snapper moved the tripod in front of Cat’s desk and secured the camera on it while Cat reached into a drawer for the wireless lavalier she kept there. Switching it on, she clipped it onto her shirt and waited, mind racing as she tried to decide what to do.

The monitors behind her reflected on her darkened laptop screen, and Cat hesitated as Snapper jacked in, overriding their broadcast signal. There was a flicker of odd feedback, and Cat’s heart soared when she realized why.

If Winslow had still been working for her, she would have given him a hell of a raise. Somehow the DEO had known, and Cat had never been more grateful for them than she was in that moment.

Snapper must have seen it too, and Cat watched him release a deep breath of relief. Whatever was about to happen, the world wasn’t going to witness it. Thank God their villain of the week had no actual broadcast experience.

“Cat’s little protégé.” Donovan gestured for Kara to come closer. She obeyed, willingly standing at Cat’s side. “Didn’t I tell you? You’ll be starring in this show too.” He glanced at Snapper. “Are we live?”

Snapper gestured impatiently at the screens, Cat’s image on all of them with Kara beside her.

“Now,” Donovan said happily. “Action! Ooh, I always wanted to say that.”

With hidden distaste, Cat began speaking, hating every word that spilled from her mouth and how they must have sickened Kara to hear them. Vile plans for the marginalization, discrimination, and persecution of aliens, all wrapped in a candy coating of fear and privilege and the ‘interest of safety.’ As she came to the end, she read the final sentence and faltered before reluctantly speaking it aloud. Donovan pulled a black box from his pocket, opening it to reveal a black, jagged stone that glistened in the light.

Kara swayed in place slightly, a soft sound of distress catching in her throat. It took everything for Cat to resist reaching out for her.

“I’ll show you, the world, precisely how dangerous these aliens are,” Cat read. “For they live among us, hiding in plain sight. Your beloved Supergirl is none other than one of my own. Shy, retiring Kara Danvers.”

Donovan tucked the gun into the waistband of his pants and dropped the box, leaving the stone in his palm. He jabbed it against Kara’s side, and she released a pained cry and doubled over, her hands buckling the acrylic of Cat’s desktop. The torture continued for a second or two more before Kara was wracked with one back-breaking convulsion and split in two in a blinding flash of light.

Cat stared, both horrified and fascinated. Next to her stood two Karas, one in a cardigan, the other in a cape. It was just like that night in this very office when Kara wanted her to believe she was nothing but her mild-mannered assistant and not the superhero Cat had accused her of being.

“Well, that explains a lot,” came Snapper’s gruff voice from behind the camera.

***

Carter stood by James as they watched the feed from inside his mom’s office. He could tell his mother meant none of what she’d just read, but they gaped as Kara was torn into two separate people right before their eyes. He tried to stay quiet, but a soft, “Woah,” escaped unbidden.

“That’s not good,” Winn muttered.

James nodded before standing to his full height, hands on his hips. “This happened to Cl– uh Superman, once. It was a helluva weekend.”

“Is Kara all right?” Carter asked worriedly.

James stepped in front of him, effectively blocking his view of the monitors. Carter shifted his backpack and tried to peer around him, but James was just too big. “She’s… she’s fine, little man. Now I know what that looked like, but…”

“Kara is dating my mom. I know she’s Supergirl.” Grownups could be so frustrating. Nothing but patronizing excuses and lies to make him feel better.

“She’s what?” Winn squeaked. “Kara’s dating your what now?” He started to pivot in his chair only to have James grab him by the shoulder and swivel him back into place.

“Later, dude. _Much_ later.” James shifted his focus back on Carter. “Okay then. But I promise you. Everything is gonna be fine. Your mom has Kara and Supergirl in there with her now. Double the heroes. They’re gonna get out of this, okay?”

“Does Winn have the doors fixed yet?” Carter asked dubiously, tired of waiting for someone to do something.

“I’m working on it,” Winn huffed. “Everyone’s a critic.”

Carter _needed_ to help. He knew things about CatCo no one else did, having explored every nook and cranny of the building since he was old enough to walk. “I can get inside. I know a secret door. Well, not really a door, more like a… large doggy door? It’s just an opening above the parking garage, but I’ve gotten in that way before…”

James stooped down so they were eye to eye. “Forget it, Carter. It’s way too dangerous. With your mom inside, I’m in charge, okay? And I say no way.”

“But I can help!”

“We’re doing everything we can, buddy.”

Carter dug the toe of his shoe into the sidewalk. He nodded, watching his mother intently on the screen when James stepped aside, doing his best to blend into the background.

After a few quiet minutes, he realized James and Winn were too distracted to pay him any attention. Slowly, Carter backed away, keeping an eye on the other agents making sure the perimeter remained secure. They were all looking in front of them rather than behind, and Carter silently made a dash for the parking garage. He’d save his mom, Kara, and Supergirl and show them all that he could be a hero too.

***

“Where the hell is she?” Lillian heard the shrillness in her voice, but her temper had well and truly spiked now. She jabbed the buttons on the remote, but CatCoNews continued its insipid coverage. With the phones jammed on that end, she had no way to reach either of her operatives in CatCo to find out why they were past due to give her the show she wanted.

“Donovan is a kook,” Sam grunted next to her in the back of the car, still in his Class A’s, medals glinting in the muted light. “But he’s usually a competent one. If he hasn’t interrupted yet, he’s biding his time.”

“I can’t have Cat Grant swanning around knowing what we tried to do to her,” Lillian reminded him, hurtling the remote the short distance at the in-car screens, barely marking it. “If we don’t activate her now, she’s going to be more trouble than it’s worth to keep her alive.”

“I said you should have taken care of her when she escaped. Never did get to the bottom of that. That’s poor groundwork, Lily.”

Lillian bit her tongue. She knew exactly how Cat had escaped now. Jeremiah had been working with that damn cop. She’d handled him and brought him to heel, but Sam had never trusted Jeremiah’s expertise, and she was in no mood for another patronizing lecture.

“It’s not just about Cat, it’s–”

“About showing the world who Supergirl really is, I know.” Sam leaned back in his seat and reached for her hand, enclosing it in both of his. “Grant will read your words. Donovan will make sure of that. Then we can finally blow Danvers’ shaky cover identity for good, and let the world see the true evil of Supergirl all at the same time. It’s a brilliant plan, one that deserves to succeed. One we should have executed a long time ago.”

“You’re only saying that because I consulted you on this one,” Lillian groused, but she was slightly mollified. “Now call someone and get me an update on where that broadcast is. I want control of CatCo in the next five minutes.”

***

Kara stood in front of Cat, wringing her hands inside the sleeves of her pale cardigan. “What is that?” she asked in a small voice.

Supergirl stood beside her in her familiar blue and red. Instead of her usual proud posture, she was braced for a fight, fists raised. Despite that, she looked shaky on her feet, knees buckling and spine curved against the effects of the black rock. She tossed long blonde hair off her face with considerable effort, forcing herself to stare down their invader.

“Oh, this innocent thing? It’s just black kryptonite,” Donovan gloated. “That’s kryptonite superheated to create this beautiful gem. When exposed to it, our resident hero is separated from her very human alter-ego. Look into the camera, Kara. Let the whole world see exactly who Supergirl pretends to be. You’ll never be able to show your face in public again.”

“You think I’ll let you get away with this?” In two long strides, Supergirl was across the room, but Donovan warded her off with a wave of the kryptonite, almost as effective as the green form in weakening her.

“You have no choice, Kryptonian,” he sneered, and Supergirl took a stumbling step back, still keeping herself between the doctor and the humans under her protection. “But by all means, show the world what a menace Supergirl truly is.”

Snapper lingered behind the camera, watching the proceedings but saying nothing. Cat eyed him, and he dipped his head, confirming this particular scene would never be witnessed by anyone but the parties present. They had to wrap this up before whoever Lillian had on the outside worked out that they’d been tricked.

“I could crush you under my boot as easily as a scarlet spinner. I am a god among you. It is time you began to respect me as such.” Supergirl rounded her shoulders and charged Donovan, knocking the kryptonite across the office before seizing him by the throat.

“Supergirl, put him down! We were sent here to help humans. What you’re doing is proving his point,” Kara shouted. The rage emanating from her was palpable. Cat had always assumed that anger belonged to the girl who’d lost her world, but it clearly had roots in Kara’s human half as well.

Kara set her jaw and with a stubbornness born of being raised a Danvers, pleaded her case. “Think of Mom. She fought for justice and truth. She would never agree with this. Rao knows she didn’t when Astra chose it. Focus on getting us out of here.”

Supergirl frowned, but her eyes remained on her victim as he clawed uselessly at her hold. “You’re weak, like these humans. Why do you give them so much power? You could save them all. Snuff out evil without breaking a fingernail, and yet you hide among them. Pretend to be one of them.” She turned back to Kara. “Why? When we could be so much more?”

“You’re right,” Kara agreed, and Cat fought the urge to stop her as Kara came closer to her alter-ego. Donovan continued to thrash in Supergirl’s grip, his skin reddening as he struggled to breathe. “We could save them. We’re stronger, faster, keep fire in our eyes. We could exert unspeakable power over all of them. We could be gods. But setting yourself above them all stops you from caring about them. It takes away your need to be a hero.”

Supergirl’s face fell, just long enough for Cat to see Kara’s words make an impact. “But destroying Cadmus makes me a hero.” She squeezed Donovan’s neck again, and he kicked and choked, his eyes bulging now.

“No… please!” The black kryptonite sparkled by the door where it had landed, and Kara lunged toward it, trying to stop this. Supergirl extended her other arm to bar Kara’s way, but she relented once more, letting Donovan down even though she didn’t fully release her grip on his throat.

“He deserves this,” Supergirl warned as Donovan wheezed, desperately sucking in air. “He wants to take everything we care about. Lock us in cages and experiment on us like rats. Cadmus threatened Alex. Took Jeremiah. Took _Cat_. And we both know how much that hurt.”

Cat straightened. Now was not the time to be flattered. One Kara looking at her like she could move the moon was thrilling enough, but two versions had Cat’s mind threatening to wander in very inappropriate directions now that the immediate threat was past. It warmed her, though, to hear how very much she mattered to them.

“Sometimes you have to get angry, Kara,” Supergirl snarled.

“You don’t think I’m angry?” Kara pushed her glasses back up on her nose. “Then you really haven’t been paying attention. Don’t you remember working for Cat for two years?” At Cat’s pointed glare, Kara mouthed a half-hearted ‘sorry.’ “Or every male friend you’ve ever had declaring his love for you? Bad date after bad date, having to hide everything about us – about _you_ – that makes me a freak?”

“Curious,” Donovan rasped, not smart enough to keep his mouth shut. “The black kryptonite should have separated you into the best and worst versions of yourself.”

“What do you mean?” Supergirl demanded.

“Exactly what I say. You two should be good and evil, angel and devil. Instead here you are, arguing about your similarities. This is not at all how it worked on Superman. Oh, I simply must get you into my lab.”

Both Kara and Supergirl bristled, and Cat knew it was up to her to resolve this little scene before Donovan became nothing more than a stain on her carpet. Whether it would be Supergirl or Kara that snapped first, Cat found herself reluctant to bet. She crossed over to Supergirl and laid her hand over the powerful forearm once again holding the man aloft.

“Kara’s right. Let him go.” Piercing blue eyes met her own, and Cat’s heart stopped at the beauty, power, and confidence she found there. This was a noblewoman, no question about it, and she was perfectly aware of her status.

As attractive as Cat found her, however, this was not _her_ Kara. There was a brightness absent, a softness. Cat missed the earnest hope and warmth of her. She risked a brief glance at the version standing by her desk, almost dull without the full force of Supergirl’s personality, before focusing back on the superhero. The sooner she could make them whole again, the better. She almost said as much aloud, but with Snapper’s curious eyes on them, Cat kept her counsel for a change.

Supergirl lowered Donovan to the floor and loosened her grip, but she didn’t let him go. “I’m only doing this for you,” she whispered, quietly enough that Cat hoped no one else in the room had heard it.

The crash from her desk pulled Cat’s focus. Her sweet, clumsy Kara was trying to catch the upturned pencil holder, clearly having heard Supergirl even without her super senses.

“Sorry,” Kara mumbled as she gathered pens.

With a deep breath, Cat focused on Donovan. “How do we put Humpty Dumpty back together again?”

“Your English nursery rhymes are irrelevant when we’re in such danger,” Supergirl said.

Cat rolled her eyes. “My, we are a fun-hater without our Sunny Danvers smile, aren’t we?”

Supergirl’s frown deepened as she turned her attention back to Donovan. “Tell her what she wants to know.” Donovan spit in her face, and her eyes glowed white hot.

“Supergirl!” Kara and Cat shouted at once. Supergirl squeezed her fingers, causing Donovan to gasp a bit more as his airway closed. His hands curled around hers as he tried once more in vain to loosen her grip.

Kara whispered a pleading, “Don’t kill him,” and Supergirl tossed Donovan across the room. His back slammed against the glass wall, cracking it. He stumbled to his feet, coughing, trying to regain his breath.

“Cut that feed!” Cat ordered Snapper, maintaining the pretense that they’d been live. Surely whoever had been helping them should be storming the building by now. Winslow alone wouldn’t be much use in a fight, but Cat knew enough of the superfriends to know that they traveled in packs. She’d give quite a lot for Alex Danvers and one of her oversized semi-automatics to come rushing in at this point.

Donovan saw his chance and made a run for it. He crashed into Snapper, who did his best to intercept. They tangled for a moment before Donovan delivered a solid punch to his jaw. Snapper dropped to one knee, clutching his face, dazed from the blow.

Supergirl rushed the doctor, but as Donovan turned around, she groaned in pain and collapsed. Donovan laughed and wielded the black kryptonite he’d collected from the floor. As soon as she was down, he fled.

Cat and Kara both helped Supergirl to her feet only to have her use a burst of superspeed to pursue the doctor. They started to go after her, but Snapper caught Cat’s wrist.

“Let her go. She’ll be fine.”

“Are you insane?” Cat snapped. “He has kryptonite and a damn gun.”

Snapper smiled. “He doesn’t have the gun anymore, Puff Princess.” He brandished Donovan’s pistol much to Cat and Kara’s surprise. “You don’t get where I am in journalism without becoming a damn good pickpocket. Now, who is going to fill me in?”

***

“Alex, calm down. Where are you?” Lucy asked into her phone as she navigated the light Labor Day traffic in the business district.

“Still stuck in the damn desert. Choppers were out on maneuvers and they have to fuel one up for us. Is Kara okay? What’s going on?” Alex demanded, the worry in her voice adding to Lucy’s own.

“I’m pulling up now. You and Maggie get here when you can.” Lucy hung up with only a twinge of regret as she pulled her car into a vacant space and climbed out. She kicked off her heels, the asphalt warm on the soles of her feet as she popped her trunk and threw the shoes inside. She was untucking her silk blouse when Vasquez trotted up.

“Ma’am.”

“Seriously, Susan? We’ve gotten drunk together and slept in the same bed. Report.” Lucy was able to ignore Susan’s blush, but her appreciative glance as Lucy stripped off her shirt, leaving her in a standard black tank, was a little harder to brush off. She grabbed a pair of socks and boots out of a duffle bag in the trunk and began slipping them on.

Susan cleared her throat. “Perimeter is secure. Agent Schott is working to get the doors open.”

Lucy’s gaze flicked to CatCo. “Any reason we don’t just shoot our way in?”

“It’ll trip an extra security measure. Some kind of security panels. Thick ones, apparently.”

“Of course. Cat never does anything halfway.” Lucy grabbed her utility belt and sidearm and efficiently strapped them on. “Although I’m willing to bet that’s partly because she’s sick of her beloved building getting trashed.”

“Carter!” James suddenly yelled, and Lucy and Susan both went for their weapons in alarm.

“Now what?” Lucy groused, jogging toward him with Susan on her heels.

“Winn, man, find him.” James was frantic when Lucy reached them as Winn cycled through every surveillance camera on the block.

“What’s wrong?” Susan asked before Lucy could.

“Carter was just here. I looked away for a couple of seconds and now he’s gone.”

“Carter _Grant_?” A headache bloomed behind Lucy’s left eye. This was the last thing she needed.

Susan winced, patting Lucy awkwardly on the back. “I’ll find him. Give me a few minutes.”

“He said something about the garage. Some door or other,” James said.

Susan glanced at Lucy for permission, and Lucy nodded. Her gaze lingered on Susan as she jogged away, vanishing inside the CatCo Plaza parking garage. She was determined to buy her a beer or three tonight.

“What’s the situation?” Lucy asked, reluctantly turning back to the van. “The next time I talk to Alex, I better have answers.”

James gestured at the monitors before crossing his arms. With a frown, Lucy put her hand on the back of Winn’s chair and leaned in, studying the video feed from the fortieth floor. What she saw made her burgeoning headache pound even harder. “Um… why are there two Karas?”

“That’s a rewind. I’m jumping live feeds trying to find the kid. That rock the dude is waving around. It split Kara in two somehow.” Winn cursed and banged his hands on the console. “Damnit, I’m too good. I made this encryption so solid even I couldn’t get in.”

Lucy hesitated, weighing the pros and cons before reaching into her pocket and extracting the device Lena gave her. “How fast can you determine the integrity of this?”

“What is it?”

“Some kind of digital-skeleton key courtesy of my stepsister. It’s supposed to reverse any code, but I need to know if we can trust it before we try it.” After spending the last few hours with Lena, Lucy didn’t want to believe her capable of harming a building full of innocent people, but she had to be sure.

Winn studied it skeptically. “No way it can crack my code.” He dug out a mini laptop from a bag at his feet, set it up on the shelf beside him, and plugged the device into the USB port. Lucy couldn’t determine exactly what he was doing, but after a few keystrokes and some unintelligible text scrolling across his screen, he nodded. “Give me a few minutes and we’ll know if you’ve found a Luthor we can actually trust.”

***

“No wonder you get all those Supergirl quotes, Ponytail,” Snapper grumped when Cat finished with an oh-so-brief explanation. “Your inability to properly insult a man at your age suddenly makes a lot more sense too.”

Kara would deal with him later. Right now, she had more pressing matters. “Both of you stay here. I’m going after them.” She started for the door only to be pulled up short by Cat’s grip on her elbow. “Cat, I have to–” Kara lapsed into silence as Cat pulled her into a hug, feeling every inch of it with her powers gone. She sank into the comfort as she breathed in Cat’s scent, allowing herself to enjoy one quiet moment together before the endgame in this little melodrama.

“I know you’re scared, Kara,” Cat murmured against her neck. “But you are still brave and still smart and still you.” She cupped Kara’s face. “With or without the suit, with or without your powers, you are still every bit the hero she is.”

Kara wished she could absorb some of Cat’s faith in her. “I know we’re having… space and… time right now, but I’d… really like to–”

“Uh-uh,” Cat interrupted with a smirk, stepping back. Her eyes sparkled dangerously as a predatory smile spread across her features, showing her teeth and making Kara’s breath catch.

Kara placed a hand on the back of Cat’s sofa for fear her knees wouldn’t hold her.

“To the victor go the spoils,” Cat husked, standing on tiptoe to plant a light kiss on Kara’s blushing cheek. “But you gotta win first, Sunny D, so chop chop.” She playfully slapped Kara’s hip.

“Don’t mind me.” Snapper crossed his arms as they separated. “I’m just gonna stand here and wait to be rescued.” He gave Kara a pointed look.

“Let me get on that then.” With one last lingering glance at Cat, Kara headed for the stairwell, hoping she could figure out a way to help.

***

“Oh boy.” Lucy and James looked up at the worry in Winn’s voice. “I, uh… found Carter.”

They watched the security video on Winn’s monitors as Carter lifted a vent next to the guard’s desk in the lobby. He climbed onto the marble floor without so much as a curl out of place.

“I’ll be damned.” Lucy marveled at Carter’s bravery if not his foolishness. “How in the hell?”

Winn made a shrug emoji with his arms as they watched Carter pick the lock on the elevator panel. He was painstakingly pressing buttons and flipping switches to no avail.

“We’ve got another problem, though. Look.” Winn pointed to a screen that showed Supergirl and the gunman on the stairs. “They’re headed for the lobby. They’re between the fifteenth and sixteenth floors.”

Lucy ran for the front doors with James close behind. They both pounded on the glass to get Carter’s attention. When he reluctantly approached, Lucy gestured for Carter to open the door. He sighed but complied, pushing on the handle and throwing his slight weight against it, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Damnit,” James hissed in frustration.

Carter grabbed his backpack, sliding out a notebook and quickly writing something on it that he held up to the glass. _Where’s the bad guy?_

James pulled out a small notepad from his back pocket and jotted out a reply. _On the stairs and coming your way. Hide!_

Carter stubbornly shook his head, and Lucy tapped the two-way in her ear. It figured Cat’s kid would be as stubborn as she was.

“Susan? What’s your location? Carter’s in the lobby, and we need evac now.”

With an apologetic wave, Carter headed for the stairwell and disappeared inside.

James thumped his head against the glass. “Cat is gonna _kill_ me.”

“Winn,” Lucy snapped when Vasquez didn’t respond. “Use Lena’s device. That’s an order.”

“But I haven’t finished checking–”

“Do it!”

Winn jammed the device into the mainframe and booted it up, his jaw dropped slightly once he saw it in action. “Whoa. C’mon you dirty piece of software. Rip my code to shreds.”

***

Carter knew he was going to get in trouble for disobeying James and Lucy, but he set those worries aside as he pounded up flight after flight of stairs. Footsteps thundered above him, growing closer, and he hesitated on the fourth-floor landing, slightly out of breath. Leaning over the rail, Carter looked up, catching a glimpse of red and blue. Supergirl was moving sluggishly, affected by the rock in the man’s grip she was chasing. She caught him by the collar, and he whirled, thrusting the black stone toward her. Supergirl got off a feeble punch and then another before staggering back with a soft cry of pain. They were both battered, clearly having gone more rounds than the one Carter was witnessing.

Slinging off his backpack, Carter unzipped it and dug out a roll of heavy twine from an art project and a can of pepper spray. He strung the twine tightly across the bottom of the flight of stairs, giving it a good twang when he was finished. With a satisfied nod, he stood and palmed his pepper spray, waiting for the fight to come to him.

It took another few minutes, but soon the pair rounded the fifth-floor landing. Supergirl spied Carter, her eyes going wide. Frantic, she made a final lunge for the the bad guy, but the combination of his momentum and her weakness left her off balance. He pressed his advantage, using the low railing to shove her over.

Carter shouted in warning, but it was too late. Supergirl plunged toward the concrete several floors below. The gunman threw the black rock after her then turned on Carter with a frightening grin. He grabbed for him, but Carter aimed a stream of pepper spray gel at the villain’s eyes. He screamed like an adolescent girl, his agony echoing throughout the stairwell as his legs tangled in the twine and he stumbled forward.

Hands landed on Carter’s shoulders, snatching him to safety as the gunman crashed at his feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have been so, so, SO encouraged and heartened by your comments. Some of you on every chapter, sometimes joy, sometimes amusing threats, but every word of them is appreciated. It’s a long story and you won’t get time every day, but whenever you are moved, PLEASE comment on the art and on the writing. It means the world, and it makes this feel like a real community effort. Thank you.


	11. Act IV

  
  


More double trouble, and Cat in a compromising situation. All hail @pinkrabbitpro! Praise in the comments, or hit her [Tumblr ask](http://pinkrabbitpro.tumblr.com/ask). 


	12. Act V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tonight on Supergirl Virtual Season...

  
  


A hint of what’s coming tonight from @xxtorchxx. Thing is, it’s a little soon for a happy ending… Love here in the comments or go to the [Tumblr ask](http://xxtorchxx.tumblr.com/ask)


	13. Act V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things settle down once Donovan is in custody. Lucy and Lena find more common ground and M'gann takes her new place amongst the aliens of National City. Two halves are made whole again and the distance between Cat and Kara is closed again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>    
> 
> 
> Getting fancy from @xy0009!  
> Hit the comments or [ask box](http://xy0009.tumblr.com/ask) about the pretty.
> 
> Thank you to @spaceshipsarecool ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceshipsarecool) | [tumblr](http://spaceshipsarecool.tumblr.com/ask)) for editing work on this, and additional editing from @fictorium and @inspectorboxer.

Kara witnessed it all from several floors above. It was surreal to watch herself fall, to not feel the pain that had surely torn through her other half at impact. Lungs aching, she raced past Carter and Vasquez as she zip tied a crying Donovan. It took a few minutes to reach her alter-ego, but Kara drew up when she stumbled onto the bottom floor. Supergirl lay motionless and bloodied, and Kara was terrified she’d lost that part of herself forever.

Dropping to her knees, Kara clutched Supergirl’s hand. It was cold and clammy to the touch, but Supergirl’s eyes slowly blinked open, meeting her own.

“Cat?” Supergirl whispered. “Carter?”

“Safe,” Kara promised. “Just hang on. Everything will be fine.” She prayed to Rao that was the truth.

The door to the bottom floor burst open and Lucy and a handful of agents spilled into the stairwell with them. Lucy pulled up short at the scene before her, noting the kryptonite in the corner. She holstered her weapon and snatched it up, thrusting into an agent’s hands and ordering him out of the building.

Supergirl stirred slightly as soon as the door closed behind him.

“Easy,” Kara warned her, using her grip to help her up. She was startled when Supergirl’s arms came around her shoulders, experiencing what it was like for the first time to be human and held in superpowered arms. It was… weird. She grinned in simple relief, wondering distantly if this was how Alex always felt when she hugged her.

“We make a better hero together,” Supergirl murmured.

“El mayarah,” Kara agreed.

“El mayarah.”

***

Dr. Dabney Donovan was raving through his tears and snot as the DEO agents carried him down the stairs and out onto the street. Lucy eyed him with distaste. Humans were typically handled by the NCPD or homeland security, but this one would be their guest until they were satisfied they’d learned all about Cadmus they could from him.

Donovan screamed and fought while being shoved into the back of an unmarked black van, and Susan knocked him upside the head with her flashlight to shut him up.

“Agent!” Lucy scolded.

“Accident, ma’am.” Susan didn’t look very sincere or apologetic.

“Uh-huh. Just make sure there are no more _accidents_ before he gets to his cell, eh Vasquez?”

Susan shrugged defiantly. “No promises, ma’am.”

“Do it again, and I won’t buy you a beer later.” Lucy couldn’t stop the upward tick at the corner of her mouth when Susan’s head whipped up at that. She hid it by turning back to the surveillance van where James and Winn were discussing Lena’s device.

“Look, all I’m saying, man, is that she’ll have us colonizing the moon inside of ten years, mark my words. This thing is badass.”

“I’ll be sure to tell her that she needs to brush up on her jet propulsion research when I give that back to her,” Lucy chimed in.

The boys turned to face her in unison.

“Hey, can I come with you?” Winn begged, resembling an excited puppy. “I’d love to pick her brain about her universal code.”

“Not until you’re debriefed. See you back at the DEO.” Lucy plucked the device from Winn’s hand and headed toward her car. Around her, groggy CatCo employees were being checked out by a few teams of medics before being piled into vans and driven home. Finally, she had some good news for Alex. The situation was resolved, they had a Cadmus man in custody, and Kara was safe, even if there were still two of her. She suspected Alex would know exactly what to do about that.

***

“Grounded,” Cat said, pacing in front of her couch as a chastised Carter listened morosely. “A month. No video games, no comic books, computer for homework only. One episode of Netflix a night, content approved by me, and one hour of news with me in the morning, with discussion.”

Kara sat on her old assistant’s desk, giving Cat and Carter the illusion of privacy as she watched mother and son with a weak smile. All the employees had been taken home, thankfully suffering nothing worse than a bit of a headache. Only Snapper remained, going back to his office to work. Lucy had leveled a few threats and had him sign plenty of paperwork now that he knew the truth about her. Somehow Kara suspected he’d be even harder on her than he was before.

Adam had stepped out onto Cat’s balcony to watch the sunset over National City, and Kara wondered if he could hear Cat and Carter’s discussion. It had to be hard on him to listen to Cat parent her other child in a way she never had with him.

“Ugh, gross, Mom. I was only trying to help.” Carter crossed his arms and gave Cat a champion pout.

“You snuck into a hostage situation and confronted a deranged, armed criminal. What kind of help did you think you’d be?” Cat sat next to him and pulled one of his hands into her lap. “Your bravery is the best part of you, darling, but what in the world would I ever do if you got hurt because of it?” She ran a hand through his wild curls, and Kara’s heart thumped in her chest at the sight.

Carter bent his head, and the two spoke in quieter tones Kara’s human ears could no longer detect. She was certain her counterpart heard every word.

Supergirl was ramrod straight at her side, fists on hips, watching Cat and Carter intently. There was an energy in the way she watched Cat. It was like a hunger, almost a compulsion. The word ‘desire’ flashed through Kara’s mind, making her hot all over. Had she looked at Cat like that all the times she’d wanted more? All the days her arms ached to draw Cat close? She was mortified at the thought of Cat seeing that kind of thirst in her gaze.

Clearly Supergirl had no such qualms.

“Stop staring.” Kara tried to convince herself she was protecting Cat rather than nursing her own jealousy.

“Just because you deprived yourself of her affection, doesn’t mean I must adhere to that… agreement. Cat is beautiful, noble, and valiant.” Supergirl’s voice softened and grew wistful. “We want her, Kara. Why do we hesitate?”

“Because the way I feel about her is dangerous for everyone. I need to be able to fight any threats to her and retain who I am. Who _we_ are.” Kara watched as Cat drew Carter close with a comforting arm around his shoulders. “It would be so easy to forget all that, just to be with her, but the consequences…”

Supergirl pursed her lips. “Mother would approve of her.”

Kara slowly smiled. “So would Father. But this isn’t Krypton, no matter how much we wish it could be.”

“I miss having your thoughts in my head. My mind is full of home, and I can’t make sense of things.” Supergirl met Kara’s eyes, a glimmer of fear in her own. “Will we be apart forever?”

For the first time since the split, Kara spoke with absolute certainty. “No. Alex has a plan. I promise we’ll be one again. I need you. I’m _useless_ without you.”

Supergirl chuckled, and Kara grimaced. Was that really how she laughed? The whole situation was just too weird. “And I need you, apparently. I am a, what did Cat call it? A fun-hater?”

Kara snorted. “You’re kind of a snob, yeah.”

Supergirl lightly shoved her shoulder, and Kara fell off the desk with a clatter, drawing the attention of the Grants.

Cat crinkled her brow. “Kara, would you send Adam in? Maybe you and Supergirl can wait on the balcony for a few minutes? I’ll join you when we’re done.”

“Of course, Ms. Grant.” Kara ignored the look Cat gave her at the use of her surname as she and Supergirl crossed to the balcony and stepped out into a warm, evening breeze.

“Adam?”

“Hey, it’s Cat’s heroes!”

Kara blushed. Why did he have to be so damn charming? He must have gotten that trait from his mother along with her intense gaze and strong chin. “She’s asking for you.”

Adam smiled and started towards the door.

There was something about his grin that seemed… off. Kara’s own smile faltered as the hairs on the back of her neck rose. With everything Cat had been through, she was wary of anything or anyone that might cause her more pain, even Cat’s own son.

Adam hesitated before stepping into the office, meeting Kara’s eyes. They weren’t as warm as she remembered them. “Um… just so you know, I might be around National City more often. I got a job offer.”

Kara blinked, not sure how she felt about the news or what Adam’s reasons could be for sharing it with her. “Oh. That’s… that’s great! Congratulations!”

“Guess we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other, huh?” Adam winked at her, but the gesture felt far from friendly. “Supergirl,” he said, finally acknowledging the superhero.

“Mr. Foster.”

Ever the flirt, Adam couldn’t resist trying his luck. “You know, I could use a tour guide. Nobody knows this city better than you, right? Bird’s eye view and all?”

Supergirl tilted her head. “Maybe you should take advantage of the opportunity to spend more time with your mother.” Her tone was cool and full of all the suspicion Kara had kept to herself.

Adam chuckled. “Just the sort of thing a superhero would say, huh? You tell people to eat their vegetables too?” He gave Kara one last indecipherable look before slipping into Cat’s office.

Kara and Supergirl watched Adam greet his mother and brother. Before the trio exited the office, Cat turned and met Kara’s eyes through the door. ‘Wait here,’ she mouthed silently, and Kara nodded, her heart rate accelerating faintly in anticipation.

Supergirl leaned on the balustrade and took in the city view. “Should I have accepted his invitation on our behalf?”

“Oh, now you start making jokes.”

***

M’gann stood at the podium on the terrace of the courthouse steps. A gathering of aliens and allies watched her with baited breath, signs still and chants silent for the time being. She wished Maggie could be there, missing her friend’s quiet strength, but Maggie had sent her encouraging text messages all day. They’d kept M’gann from bolting and scurrying from the spotlight she now found herself in.

She took a long, deep breath. One of the speakers to her left gave a brief squawk of feedback, and she heard the click of cameras and the beginnings of nervous murmurs as the silence stretched on too long.

Scanning the crowd, M’gann recognized some of her regular patrons and people she’d helped. They smiled in support, reminding her why she was here. Brian was right in front, and he gave her a subtle little fist pump and a wide grin. It was just the boost she needed.

“Citizens of National City,” she began, surprised at the steadiness in her voice, even though she felt anything but. “My name is M’gann M’orzz, and I come from Mars.”

The roar from the crowd caused her to pause until the cheers and clapping had died down. Taking in their energy, M’gann expanded her own. She spied J’onn, clapping stoically, but she could feel him bursting with his own alien pride. “Goodness, if I’d known I’d get applause just for being a Martian, I’d have come out years ago.”

The crowd chuckled, and J’onn raised one eyebrow at her.

“The time has come for the silence among us to be broken. The time has come for us to take our place as rightful citizens of Earth. To thank her and her people for providing us refuge. To come together with humans to make this a more welcoming planet for all of us who now call her home.”

The crowd cheered again. M’gann filled her lungs with clean, Earth air and silently thanked Cat, Maggie, and J’onn for their faith. She could do this. She might be the only one who could.

***

Lucy knocked on Lena’s office door. A distracted “come in” called from beyond, and she pushed the door open. “Hey, your assistant’s MIA. Hope you don’t mind…”

Lena smiled from behind her desk and gestured for Lucy to come in. “I sent her home. I’m having dinner with my mother in an hour. I won’t presume to ask what happened this afternoon, but it doesn’t take rocket science to figure out she suffered a setback today. She’ll be insufferable. I needed time alone to prepare myself.”

“God, you and I really are two peas in a pod. I have to sleep for a week after Thanksgiving with my father.” Lucy was grateful Lena didn’t ask about CatCo. She didn’t want to awkwardly refuse her the details.

“I’ll get you the numbers to my therapist, my masseuse, and my favorite vineyard. My Lillian survival kit.” Lena stood gracefully and crossed to her bar. “Speaking of. Wine?”

“Hell yes.” Lucy chuckled faintly as Lena poured blood red merlot into two stemless crystal wine glasses. She sauntered closer, tempted to ask Lena to suss out some details from Lillian tonight, but she didn’t want to cross any more lines than she had already. With any luck, Lena would come to her if Lillian let something slip. “I just stopped by to return this.” She dug the decoder from her purse and held it out.

Lena exchanged it for the wine and gestured to the sofa. “Sit, please.”

Accepting the invitation, Lucy took her first sip. Whatever else her fancy Luthor upbringing had taught her, Lena knew her way around a wine list.

“Did it work?” Lena asked, settling beside her.

“Like a dream. Agent Schott was awed and furious, and maybe a little turned on.”

Lena let out a bark of laughter. “A true techie. Aroused by well-dressed, elegant code. Tell him I know the feeling well.”

“Well, he had his ego bruised twice today. Once by a woman who bested his programming, and once by a kid who can find his way into an impenetrable building faster than MacGyver. Turns out all the tech in the world is no match for a boy who’s seen _The Goonies_ one time too many.”

“The FBI routinely employs children in its missions now?”

Lucy knew Lena’s real question. ‘ _Why the kid and not me?_ ’ It was as clear as the crystal holding Lena’s $200 glass of wine.

“Said kid is Cat’s thirteen-year-old son. Carter is currently being grounded by his mother and put on about twelve different government watch lists for what he did today. He certainly didn’t have my permission to be there, or his mother’s. I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of a Cat Grant punishment.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Cat always seemed like she might have an interesting take on discipline.” Lena smirked.

Lucy nearly choked on her wine. “Another beautiful woman falls for the Cat Grant charm, I see. Welcome to the club.” She raised her glass, and Lena clinked hers against it with a widening smile.

“Even a scientist can appreciate the divine when all other explanation fails,” Lena admitted.

With a genuine laugh, Lucy polished off the rest of her glass. “I should go. I’m exhausted, and you have dinner. Thank you for the wine and your help today. We should get together more often. Form an insufferable parents support group.”

Lena stood and took Lucy’s glass, returning it to the bar. “I’d like that. How about brunch Sunday? I have a standing table at Le Jardin. 10:30?”

“I’ll be there.”

“And Lucy?” Lena called when Lucy turned to go. “If my mother blurts out any interesting or dastardly details this evening, I’ll call you.”

Lucy tried to keep her features neutral even as hope bloomed in her chest. “I’d appreciate that.” She offered her stepsister one last smile, already looking forward to Sunday. “Goodnight, Lena.”

“Goodnight.”

***

“Idiot,” Lillian snarled quietly and drank her vodka on the rocks. “Not only did Donovan get himself caught, he didn’t even get the broadcast on the air.” She sighed. “Now we have to deal with him. He knows far too much to stay in DEO custody. That will cost time… and money. And the damn trigger failed. Apparently your birth mother’s programming isn’t working the way it should be. We’ll have to re-evaluate her part in all of this.”

Adam spread butter on a small piece of bread and tore off the crust, popping it into his mouth in one bite. “Well, I didn’t screw up my part. Footage was wiped before I made it to the elevator. So…” he said around a mouthful of food, “what next?”

Lillian didn’t answer as her focus shifted to the formidable figure of her daughter approaching the table. “Lena. I’m so glad you could make it.”

Adam stood politely. “It’s good to see you, Lena. It’s been too long. You look great.”

“Hi, Adam.” Lena smiled genuinely and wrapped him in a hug. “You should have gotten out while you could,” she whispered in his ear. She drew back and held him by the shoulders. “Whatever brings you to National City?”

Adam shrugged and pulled out her chair. “Your mom offered me a job. An offer I couldn’t refuse.”

Lena flashed a distrustful glance at Lillian and helped herself to the table wine. “Well,” she said amiably. “It’s a good chance for us to catch up.” She downed her glass in one swallow and immediately filled it again. “Speaking of which, Mother, what did I miss on CCN today?”

Lillian looked away with a sneer, flagging the waiter down for another drink.

***

Cat stepped onto her balcony for the first time on this harrowing day, but she was energized and exhilarated, rather than exhausted. The bronze light of the setting sun reflected off every surface in National City, reminding her that under her leadership, it would glow, much like the women sharing her view.

Even when she’d been terrified Cadmus had succeeded in compromising all she held dear, Kara’s unshakeable faith had reminded her she had more to fight for than her own mind, and she’d won. She’d beaten Lillian at her own game.

The knowledge left Cat feeling light and powerful, more vibrant than she’d been in months, maybe even years. Cat almost felt like she could fly or climb bare-handed to the top of her building and claim the city as her own. Was this how Kara felt every day? Under the light of her yellow sun and in the presence of the life-giving energy of this city, did she always feel like she might burst right out of her skin? It was a hell of a drug, and Cat wanted to share it.

She sauntered up behind the pair, hero and girl, the same, but oh so different, and insinuated herself in the space between them. Twin pairs of blue eyes turned toward her, and Cat looked at each of them in turn.

On her right, Supergirl’s eyes were intent and focused, brilliantly aware, but just this side of cool. Lillian thought Kara had it in her to be dangerous, possibly outright evil, but she’d failed there as well. The woman standing before Cat now was stronger than any being on Earth, but she was no weapon. As Cat ran an appraising gaze over Supergirl, she found an aloofness there that was unfamiliar. A nobility shined through in spite of her years suppressing it. It was maddeningly attractive, but a bit like staring directly into the sun.

She shifted her attention to the left, causing her curls to bounce a bit and catch the fading sunlight. Kara’s sweet little gasp as their eyes met reminded her exactly what Supergirl’s gaze was missing. Cat fell into eyes as warm as the California sky. There was just a hint of, not fear, but doubt there, and Cat snuck Kara a reassuring smile. Kara adjusted her glasses, which were already sitting perfectly on her nose. Neither girl spoke, so Cat broke the ice.

“Well, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t had the occasional fleeting thought about this very scenario,” she joked wryly.

Kara giggled nervously. She gripped the concrete rail so hard it would have crumbled under her fingers if she’d still had powers. Supergirl frowned, causing the adorable crinkle in the center of her brow to make an appearance. It humanized the alien in a way that tugged at Cat’s heartstrings pleasantly.

“What do you mean?” Supergirl wondered.

“Never mind, darling. I’m not interested in pursuing it any further.” Cat ignored Kara’s relieved little sigh.

“Where’s Adam?” Kara asked politely.

“He had… plans.” Cat tried not to think about Adam dining with Lillian, of him looking at his step-mother with affection. Maybe she should have told him, but Cat was terrified she’d only push her son further into Lillian’s corner. “We’ve made a standing arrangement for a weekly lunch with the option for dinners with Carter, if things go well. It’s a start.” She smiled tightly when Kara nodded in agreement.

“And Carter?” Supergirl asked.

“I left him with Snapper for a few minutes. You’d be surprised,” she continued. “Those two get along like a house on fire.”

“Seriously?” Kara blurted.

Of all the improbable things that happened on a daily basis, current circumstances included, it was Carter and Snapper bonding that Kara found unbelievable? No way could Cat resist toying with her. She waved her fingers noncommittally. “Well, he is the boy’s father.”

It was worth the disturbing mental images the statement caused to watch Kara’s perfect jaw quite literally drop. “Oh give me some credit! Also, you’ve met Carter’s father three or four times now.”

Both Kara and Supergirl huffed out a weak laugh, but Cat didn’t miss the silent look of relief that passed between them.

“I thought we should do this alone.” Cat dug the small lead box from her pocket. “Time we rejoined Yin and Yang, don’t you think? That attractive agent with the nice smile recovered it from the doctor. You’ll need to take it back to Better Lane if and when it works.” Cat turned the box over a couple of times in her hands and looked back up into Kara’s eyes. “So how do we do this?”

Kara took the box, her fingers brushing Cat’s, and Cat noticed they were actually cool to the touch for a change. A symptom of being human, apparently.

“Alex thinks if Supergirl uses her heat vision, she’ll be able to re-activate the stone and reverse its effects. It worked for Clark when this happened to him.” She turned to Supergirl. “Got one final act of heroism left in you tonight?”

Supergirl nodded. “Of course.”

“It’s going to hurt you when I open the box, so do it quickly. As hot and as fast as you can, understand?” Kara crouched and set the box on the concrete.

Supergirl’s jaw twitched as she prepared herself. “Do it,” she ordered.

Kara flipped open the lid, revealing the midnight black stone as it sparkled softly in the twilight.

Supergirl winced as twin lasers shot from her eyes, only to falter as the kryptonite took hold. She gritted her teeth and fought through the pain, and this time she sustained her heat vision long enough for the stone to glow a red that matched the sunset.

Cat would never be able to describe exactly how it worked. One refraction from the stone lit the entire balcony in a blinding white light. Two voices cried out sharply in pain and melded into one. Cat held her hands in front of her face, trying to see what was happening, but the light was too bright. When it finally dimmed, they were left in the fading light of the day and the soft glow from Cat’s custom sconces. Kara ‘Supergirl’ Danvers, her own personal superhero, was whole once again. Cat closed the lid on the box with her toe.

Kara lifted her chin proudly as she placed her hands on her hips in her signature stance, now complete with an ‘aw-shucks’ shrug and flirty hair flip.

“There you are,” Cat whispered as she drank her in unashamedly.

“That’s better.” Kara’s smile was radiant, and Cat couldn’t help but share it.

She responded with a vague, “Hm.”

“How do you feel, Cat?”

Cat took a couple of steps forward like a lioness stalking prey, but she stopped when Kara didn’t back down, her Supergirl steel at work. “What do you think?”

Kara reached out and placed a hand on Cat’s slim shoulder. “I think you proved to yourself today what I’ve always known. That your brilliant mind is perfectly intact and you would never betray us… betray me… no matter what. I think you’re sensational, Cat. So, I’ll ask again. How do you feel?”

With the question more specified, Cat’s answer came easier. She took one more step so that she had to crane her neck to meet Kara’s eyes before letting her gaze drift further to the sky above them. “Oh, Kara. I feel like I could breathe fire, or move mountains, or pull stars from the sky.” She met Kara’s eyes again, cupping her face and stroking her thumb over a soft, reddening cheek. “I feel strong, and safe, and very, very happy.”

Kara licked her lips, and Cat became fascinated by her mouth. “I, um, know you said you were going to give me time.” She settled a firm hand on the curve of Cat’s waist. “And, um, room…” Kara stepped forward, eliminating the remaining inches between them. “I think there was something about… professional distance.”

“I remember.”

“Watching you stand by my… by _our_ side today, seeing you take your rightful place here again… how you stood up to that madman, and to Cadmus by extension. You don’t need me to protect you. You’ve been protecting yourself the whole time. I’m just a bonus.”

Smiling proudly, Cat did her best to hide the catch in her breathing when Kara’s thumb brushed across her lower lip.

“Seeing you brave and in charge was completely irresistible, Cat. I could no easier keep my distance from you than I could split myself in two.”

Cat pulled back and frowned.

“Joke. Sorry. Bad joke. The point is, I can’t stop thinking about that night at the gala, how you felt in my arms, how distance and space make no sense when all I want with every piece of me, apart or together, is for you to…” Kara trailed off and looked away.

With two insistent fingers, Cat turned Kara’s face back to her, forcing their eyes to meet again. They were so close Cat could almost feel the brush of Kara’s lips against her own. “Finish your sentence, Supergirl.”

“Kiss me,” Kara breathed.

The words were a whisper against Cat’s lips as they came together. Cat was gentle and loving, drawn to her like a siren’s song. As Cat opened to her, Kara’s hands snaked around her waist. She pulled Cat impossibly closer and poured herself into the kiss.

Kara Danvers kissed like she talked, sweet and bubbling, but with a surety and steel that made Cat weak in the knees. She was the demure assistant and entitled quasi-princess in one again, a muddle of contradictions and unexpected similarities. Kara stepped back when they broke apart, shaking her head and grinning. “Whatever made me think I could give that up?”

“Oh, I knew you’d come around.” Cat placed a confident hand in the center of Kara’s chest, where she knew her family crest was nestled beneath her clothes once more. “You just needed a… push.” She gave Kara a small, playful shove, and Kara willingly stumbled against the stone wall next to the balcony door.

No more words were spoken as Kara’s hand threaded into Cat’s blonde curls and she brought their lips together again. Cat’s fingers slid pearl buttons through impossibly small buttonholes before brushing Kara’s cardigan open for better access. Her lips found the fluttering pulse in Kara’s long neck, and Kara let out a soft moan.

“We can’t,” Cat sighed, slowing their kisses to a lingering pace that allowed her to talk between. “As much as I want to continue, this isn’t the time or place. I need to get Carter home, and although you seem to forget every other time you fly off somewhere, these walls are actually glass.”

“No one ever notices,” Kara said, her mouth insistent at Cat’s neck now. “But if you’re saying you’d like to come over as soon as everything is settled? That might be nice.”

“Oh, I’m coming to you, am I?”

“At my place we don’t have to be… um, quiet?” Kara suggested, blushing just a little. Cat felt a thrill of anticipation at the thought. “Don’t go yet though, just–” Another kiss finished the sentence for them. But as Kara drew the hem of Cat’s silk shirt from her waistband, just enough to let her fingertips skim over bare skin, something comet-like flew over their heads, startling them apart.

Cat swore at another damn interruption as Kara tucked Cat protectively behind her. A tall, dark-haired man materialized on the balcony before them. Cat’s hands gripped Kara’s hips as the intruder smiling impishly back at them.

“Kara Zor-El!” he said, spreading his arms wide in a flourish. “I love you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have been so, so, SO encouraged and heartened by your comments. Some of you on every chapter, sometimes joy, sometimes amusing threats, but every word of them is appreciated. It’s a long story and you won’t get time every day, but whenever you are moved, PLEASE comment on the art and on the writing. It means the world, and it makes this feel like a real community effort. Thank you.


	14. Act V (bonus)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BONUS gifs for tonight's episode

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Well here’s something new… a Lena and Lucy gifset from @reginalovesemma. Assuage her nerves in the comments, or hit her [Tumblr ask](http://pinkrabbitpro.tumblr.com/ask).


	15. NEXT WEEK ON SUPERGIRL VIRTUAL SEASON

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coming up...  
  
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## NEXT WEEK ON SUPERGIRL VIRTUAL SEASON!

Mr. Mxysptlk has an offer for Kara she might not be able to refuse.

Alex gets the kind of lead she’s been waiting for.

And Maggie and Lucy team up.

Don’t miss episode 9 - Capsize by @gertiejo! Beginning Monday on the [Supergirl Virtual Season](http://archiveofourown.org/users/sgvirtualseason)! 

Immense thanks to @reginalovesemma ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/reginalovesemma) | [tumblr](http://reginalovesemma.tumblr.com)) for the lovely gifset!! You can leave comments about it here, or hit the [tumblr ask box](http://reginalovesemma.tumblr.com/ask). 


	16. BONUS: Cat and James

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some bonus gifs from @mitski  
  
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Gorgeous gifset courtesy of mitski ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/mitski) | [tumblr](https://mitski.tumblr.com)). Be sure to let her know how much you love it!


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